Everyone else is doing it!
by Lin13
Summary: A total cliche about me ending up in the avatar world.
1. morning sunshine

Alright, I have always had a deep loathing for this first chapter, so I am editing it! Try and stop me! Don't worry, these are the only changes I'm going to make, mostly for the sake of laziness and other projects I prolly should be working on…but don't. BAD KATIE! BAD! Also I wanted the story to tie into itself better. Review if you want, but it isn't required.

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"You suck!" Katie grumbled to the red mare she was leading back to the corral. She rubbed moodily at a swelling 'love bite' on her lower back and unhooked the lead rope from the harness. With a final slap on the rump, Kai trotted into the enclosure and rolled happily in the dirt. Katie rested her arms against the gate and set her chin on one of the hot, metal bars. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. The hot western sun caused the thin air to seem to float and Katie's face to glow. The earthy smell of horses and alfalfa washed over her with the hot breeze. Then she realized that she smelled more like a horse than the horses did. Kai seemed to think Katie stank as well and began dutifully washing her sweat-streaked face with a large, pink tongue. Katie couldn't help but laugh and pull away, planting a light kiss on Kai's velvety muzzle. "Alright, I forgive you."

Katie collapsed on her bed with a sigh after taking a hot shower. Her legs ached and she still had a coating of sawdust in her lungs from work. It had been a horribly long day at school and she just wanted to pass out and sleep forever. But after a half an hour of lying in the dark, sleep wouldn't come. Her brain was buzzing and wouldn't shut down. Grumbling she decided that she might as well get some drawing done. She got halfway through a rough sketch of one of her friends before she felt her eyelids closing. Happily she rolled over and drifted off to sleep, still clutching her sketchbook.

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She was in a white room that seemed to go off forever in either direction. Katie wandered around for what seemed like forever. She wasn't scared or confused, she just felt like walking. Then she found a mirror. It was just standing in front of her as though it had been there all along. Katie stepped up to it and stared at herself. But the person on the other side wasn't quite her. This woman was prettier, with black hair and golden eyes. The woman smiled and took a step aside so that all that was in the mirror's frame was the expanse of the white room behind Katie. But there on the ground was a jewel. Katie turned around, but there was nothing behind her. She turned back to the mirror and the jewel was still there. Katie lifted a foot and stepped through.

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Sunlight drifted in through the window, Katie could see it through her closed eyelids. She had slept in. She really didn't want to get up though, she figured school could wait. She was surprised that her mom hadn't come in yet. She grumbled at the world and snuggled deeper into her blankets, leaning back against her body pillow. Then her body pillow wrapped an arm around her waist and sighed blissfully into her hair. Pure instinct took over. Katie screamed as loud as she could and scrambled out of bed, making sure to kick the owner of the arms as much as possible in the process. It wasn't very graceful, but she climbed to her feet and pressed against the wall looking around fearfully. This wasn't her room. And that wasn't her bed. A teenage boy was sitting up, staring at her wide-eyed. He had one patch of dark black hair pulled into a ponytail and a large scar disfigured half his face. A face Katie knew from a television show. _What is going on?_

"Who are you! Where am I!" Katie demanded. The teenage boy stood up and began walking towards her looking angry. Katie found a large sword hanging on the wall behind her; she grabbed it and swung it in front of her defensively. She really didn't know how to use it, but she did know how to use a baseball bat. The teenager froze and watched her warily. Katie took a few tentative steps towards the door when it was flung open. An old fat man appeared dressed in dark red armor.

"Prince Zuko?" He asked curiously. Katie had turned toward the man and the teenager behind her took full advantage of this. Quick as a flash he was behind her pinning her arms to her sides. Katie dropped the sword and began trying to struggle out of his iron grip.

"Is this some kind of a joke uncle?" Zuko yelled as Katie thrashed around in his arms. Iroh only gawked at her and before he could answer, Katie threw her head back and smashed the prince's nose. He loosened his grip slightly, but it was enough. Katie slid down and wrapped her arms around the back of his thighs. With a tremendous amount of effort, she picked the prince up a few inches and then threw herself backwards, body slamming him to the floor. While he was dazed and coughing she rolled off of him and reached for the sword, spinning back to the old man who was laughing his head off.

"You are quite the feisty young viper aren't you? What is your name child?" More men appeared in the doorway, cutting off any possible escape. Katie stepped backwards hoping that she would somehow be able to climb out the window before any of these goons could get to her. One soldier stepped forward; Katie planted her feet and swung the sword at him as hard as he could. The soldier jumped back, but the sword had managed to scrape his arm.

"Now now child, there is no need for alarm or violence. We would merely like to speak with you. If you would kindly put down that sword and tell us how you got on this ship." The old man said soothingly. Katie glanced back and forth between him and the soldiers and the prince on the floor who was trying to stem the flow of his bleeding nose. There was no way she would give up her weapon without a fight.

"Why don't you tell me how I got here, because I have no friggen clue!" Katie shrieked, trying to stop her body from quivering. Another soldier tried to step forward, but Iroh stopped him.

"I would like all of you to leave, if you would be so kind." He said to the soldiers. They hesitated, but finally they all left. Iroh shut the door so it was now just him, her and the prince who was studying Katie very closely. She was still holding the sword in front of her, but her arms were growing tired quickly.

"Child, you are not threatened here. Please just put that blade down and speak with us. Merely tell us your name for starters." Katie did as she was told only because she felt she couldn't hold the heavy weapon up anymore.

"My name is Katie, Katie…Lin." She said, giving them her middle name as her last name, still not trusting the circumstances. "Where am I!" She demanded.

"Miss Lin, you are in the middle of the Pen Qua sea on fire nation vessel. This is why we are so curious as to how you managed to get on our ship when we are nowhere near any land." He said calmly sitting down on Zuko's bed.

"I already told you, I have no idea how I got here. I just woke up and here I was with that…that!" She cried, her voice an octave higher than usual.

"Prince Zuko, do you know how she came to be in your room?" Iroh asked turning to Zuko who was still watching Katie apprehensively. He had managed to grab an old shirt that he was covering his nose with.

"Not a clue. I was asleep, then she began screaming and kicking me." Iroh sat back thinking for a few seconds.

"Miss Lin, where exactly are you from?"

"Utah. But that's in the Rocky Mountains, I don't know how I could have gotten in the middle of any kind of sea."

"Hmm, I have never heard of this _Yew-Ta _but I can assure you that we will find it and get you there safely. What nation is it in?" He asked.

"Um…United States, North America." She said, still gripping her sword tightly even though its point was resting on the floor.

"That I am also unfamiliar with. Is it in the Earth, Water or Fire nation?" He asked stroking his beard.

"Dude, I have no idea what you're talking about." She actually did, but this was crazy. There was no way she was in the middle of one of her favorite cartoons. She closed her eyes and bit her tongue just to make sure she wasn't dreaming. But when she opened them again she was still in this steel plaited room. Zuko's nose had finally stopped bleeding, but it looked red and puffy. Katie was glad to see the makings of a shiner in his right eye. Zuko and Iroh exchanged confused glances. How could this girl not know about the different nations.

"She looks like Earth nation. Maybe from a northern colony. She did say she was from the mountains." Zuko murmured to his uncle studying her height and slightly muscular build. "She certainly has a fighting style of the mountain barbarians, and a look as well."

"Um, excuse me bud, I'm right here. I can hear every word you're saying." Katie said indignantly at being called a barbarian. Zuko ignored her and turned to his uncle who was nodding.

"What should we do with her?" Zuko asked.

"I suggest we treat her as a guest. We'll take her to an Earth nation port and try to help her find a route home, wherever that may be." Iroh said scratching his head and frowning slightly.

"But uncle, that is too far out of our way. What about the avatar? We are on his tail, any alterations of our course and we could lose him completely."

"Fine. This is your ship Zuko, do as you wish. We will merely keep miss Lin here until an opportunity opens up." Iroh said and began to leave the room.

"Wait! Where are you going?" Zuko cried.

"To go eat breakfast. I'm quite hungry." Iroh said and exited through the door. Zuko turned back to Katie and watched her warily. But Katie was completely overwhelmed by everything. Her head began to spin and within seconds she was passed out on the floor.


	2. what the!

Holy reviews batman! Now I will shout out to all my wonderful reviewers. Thank you so much MitaraiWaterDragon, Katara183, ZukoKrazy, Zuko's Love, and Starchic for your luverly reviews. You made my day. I want to also remind everyone that I have another story,the prince, the witch and the avatar,that really only has onereviewer, so if you like this then please feel free to read and review it as well.

Here's another shout out to Kissing off into the air, if you're still reading I just want you to know that I don't mind if you don't like my story, and I don't mind criticism, but I do mind getting someone all up in my face. I don't want to get into a flame war with you, so I'm holding back several harsh comments. Instead all I will say is that if you don't like my story, don't read it. It's as simple as that. I know my story isn't that original, it's just something I want to write and you can't change that.

Anyways, after that dreary comment. Here's my second chapter. Just to let you know, there is a small religious blip in here, if you are offended by that I will put little **_&&_**things around it so it can be avoided. I'm not trying to press my spirituality on anybody,this is just what my reaction might be in this situation.

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Katie woke up and rolled over, rubbing her face. _What a crazy dream. It seemed so real. _She thought to herself, but immediately she noticed something was wrong. She wasn't on her own creaky spring mattress, but on a hard pad. She sat up straight and looked around. She was no longer in Zuko's room, but she knew she was still on the ship. She was surrounded by iron. Not only the iron plaited walls and floors, but iron bars. She was in some sort of prison cell and she saw two men in armor leaning against the wall watching her intently. Katie lay back down and covered her face with a groan.

* * *

Iroh walked silently down into the holding cell and peered around a corner. He could see that Katie was awake. She was sitting in the far corner of her cell with her knees pulled up to her chin and her face buried in her arms. The two guards were talking and laughing quietly amongst themselves, eyeing the girl with a hunger that made Iroh uncomfortable. He stepped forward and coughed to get the attention of the guards. They both stood immediately at attention.

"The prince wishes to interrogate the girl. Please unlock the cell." One of the soldiers stepped forward quickly and unlocked the door. The whole time Katie had not stirred. Iroh squatted down beside her and placed a hand on her shoulder. She lifted her eyes to his fearfully.

"Maybe we should do some interrogating of our own once he brings her back." One of the soldiers said to his comrade. They hadn't meant for Iroh to hear this remark, but heard it was. Now Iroh understood why Katie seemed so nervous. Who knew what things these dogs had been muttering for the last several hours that she had been down here. Iroh shot a glare at the soldiers and they immediately stopped snickering.

"Come with me. I'm sure you're hungry and some tea will do you a world of good." He got a firm grip on her arm and helped her up. "Your services will no longer be needed gentlemen." He said coldly to the guards as he led Katie from the cellblock.

Zuko was waiting in the dining room when Iroh and Katie entered. He studied her closely trying to figure out what nation she was from. She had the skin tone of the Earth nation people, but her hair was dark brown, almost as dark as the water tribes. He also found it very strange that her hair was so short. Perhaps a mere two or three inches long and it stood up in multiple directions. Her eyes looked black from a distance, but when she stepped closer he could see that they were dark hazel, her left eye greener than her right.

"What in the world is that thing on your shirt?" Zuko asked. Katie glanced down at her clothes. She was wearing her favorite pajamas which happened to be a baggy pair of blue plaid pants that probably could fit three of her inside and a gray t-shirt with cookie monster on it with _eat cookies _scrawled across the front.

"You mean cookie monster?" Katie asked.

"Huh?" Zuko said looking at the goofy blue creature. It looked nothing like a monster and what in the blazes was a cookie?

"No more questions for right now. Miss Lin must be starving. Please, sit down and dig in." Iroh said leading Katie to a cushion. She sat down on it cross-legged and looked around at the food in front of her. It all looked and smelled delicious, but she had no appetite. Her throat was dry though, so she reached for a cup of water and drained it. A servant immediately stepped forward to refill the glass but Katie didn't lift it up again. She sat staring at the table and traced the wood grain with her fingertip.

"Will you not eat anything Miss Lin?" Iroh asked. Katie glanced up and shook her head. How could all this be happening? This place and these people weren't real. She sighed and ran a hand through her hair making it spike up a little more.

"Your hair is quite curious." Iroh said, "If you don't mind me asking, why would you cut it so short?"

"I don't know. Because it's cute." Katie said meekly with a shrug. They sat in silence a little longer. Katie looked up and glanced around. She saw that Zuko was watching her intensely. She caught his eyes and stared straight at him. They had a silent staring battle where Zuko glared at her. Katie on the other hand didn't have any facial expression at all. Finally Zuko couldn't take her gaze any longer and he looked down at his plate, picking at some food.

"So tell me young one. Do you have a profession or are you a housewife?" Iroh asked trying to make her open up some more.

"I'm only seventeen. I'm not married." Katie said quietly and thought about her job. How would be the best way to describe her job assembling chairs? "But I guess you could say that I'm a…carpenter." The two men gaped at her.

"But you're a girl. How can you be a carpenter?" Zuko snorted.

"Back of pal before I show you my skills with a sander." Katie said glaring at Zuko. He glared back and another staring contest ensued.

"We found an interesting book in prince Zuko's room this morning. We wondered if it belonged to you." Iroh said after the silence became unbearable. "Zuko, would you please hand it over to Miss Lin?" Iroh said. Zuko reached under the table and pulled out a book, still keeping his eyes locked on Katie's.

"It's full of strange pictures. We wish to know if these are sorceries or some kind of code." Zuko said. Katie looked down at the book in his hands and almost laughed. It was her sketchbook. Her mechanical pencil was still tucked in the spiral binding. She took it from him and ran her finger on it smiling, happy to see something familiar.

"Well, are you going to tell us the meaning behind those pictures?" Zuko said impatiently.

"There's no meaning behind them. They're just things I drew in my free time." Katie said clutching the book to her chest. Slowly a smile appeared on her face. Then she began to chuckle, which soon turned into laughter.

"What is so funny?" Zuko demanded.

"This." Katie said waving her hands around. "I finally know what's going on. I've finally lost my mind. I've trapped myself in a delusion of a cartoon show and now I'm probably locked away in a loony bin somewhere." She stood up and began walking around the room. "And you, you aren't really prince Zuko. You're just another nutter who's here because he thinks he's Julius Caesar. Any minute now they'll begin applying shock therapy to me and I'll be back to normal in no time." Katie said looking around expectantly. Zuko stood up as well and walked forward. There was no doubt to him that this girl had lost her mind. He wanted to just lead her back to her cell. But Katie saw him coming and jerked away from him yelling, "Don't even think about touching me Julius!" She walked backwards until her back was to the wall and she leaned against it sinking to the floor in a sobbing heap. She had been holding back these tears for hours, but she couldn't hold them back anymore.

"We should get her back to her holding cell." Zuko said quietly to his uncle.

"No. I don't trust the men. We have been at sea a very long time and a pretty girl alone and helpless is too tempting for some of them." Iroh said just as quietly.

"What else are we supposed to do with her?" Zuko asked.

"Well, there are no spare rooms, but me and you are trustworthy enough. She could share a room with one of us, that way we can keep a close watch on her. But it would have to be your room because I snore."

"Uncle, are you out of your mind. This girl tried to kill me this morning and she's obviously not right in the head." Zuko glared down at Katie who was trying to regain control of herself and was wiping her eyes furiously.

"She is merely afraid and confused, try putting yourself in her position. We will bring an extra mat into your room for her. Oh! And make sure you hide those swords." Iroh said smiling. Zuko couldn't believe this was happening to him.

* * *

Katie grew extremely nervous when Zuko led her to his room. There were two mattresses set on the floor instead of one now.

"You will be sleeping there." Zuko said nodding to the mattress against the wall. Katie walked straight to it and collapsed on her knees at its side. **_& _**She said a short prayer for the strength and comfort to get through this. She then climbed into bed and smashed her face into her pillow. It was kind of itchy, but at least it was clean.

"What were you doing?" Zuko asked quietly.

"What do you mean?" Katie asked lifting her head to look at him. He had taken off his armor and now stood in front of her in a pair of pants and a shirt which he also began peeling off. He then sat on his own mattress and began taking off his boots.

"Just then when you were kneeling there. Were you meditating?" he asked.

"No, I was praying." She said. Zuko looked at her curiously for a second.

"You don't look like a priestess. I thought you said you were a carpenter." He said suspiciously.

"You don't have to be a priest or priestess to pray." She said. Zuko opened his mouth to pursue the matter but Katie lay back down. "You know, I'm too tired to talk religion right now. Goodnight." **_& _**Zuko extinguished the lamp and went to bed.

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It had been several hours later when Zuko woke up. He rolled over to look at Katie and saw that she was sitting up, her feet on the floor. She was staring off out the window at the small patch of starry sky that was visible. He could see be the faint moonlight that tears were glistening down her cheeks. Her shoulders were shaking silently as well. Zuko tried to put himself in her place and realized she must be scared out of her wits. Zuko climbed out of bed with a sigh and crawled over to her mattress which was only two feet away. Katie froze and watched apprehensively as he sat right next to her and began to rub her back awkwardly. _Well, you asked to be comforted,_ was her last coherent thought as she buried her face in Zuko's chest and began sobbing. Zuko tensed a bit, but gradually wrapped his arms around her and held her close, resting his cheek against the top of her head. Katie cried herself to sleep.

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Yay! Please remember to review, I could really use some inspiration. I know the general direction I want to take this story, and it might cause the rating to go up to M, but I don't know for sure right now. I also don't know how I'm going to end this story. Who knows, maybe I'll follow Kissing off into the air's advice and just have myself jump off a cliff or get run over by the bandwagon;-)


	3. dun dun dunnnnn

Yay! more reviews. I'm glad you like this story lovergirl1227. Zukopunk, you are right, I never really liked the way I started this story, I just wanted to show off my mad snake charming skills and I might bring it in at later chapters. Dun dun dunnnn. Anyways, I also wanted to explain my chapter titles (most of you probably don't care, but for the one or two of you that do), they are just phrases I use a lot that may or may not tie into the actual chapter content. Mostly, I'm just random.

Don't forget to review my little chicadees.

A/N: this is how I really react when someone knocks on my door in the morning, even if I'm dead asleep.

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When Zuko opened his eyes the next morning, the first thing he saw was Katie's face. It was only a few inches away from his. He was slightly disoriented for a few seconds, and then the memory hit him of comforting her the night before. She had fallen asleep, so he just laid her down and fell asleep next to her. She looked much different when she was asleep. Every time he had seen her yesterday her body had been completely tensed like a loaded catapult. Now, however, she was completely relaxed. She looked much younger than seventeen. _What am I doing here? This girl is nothing but a bother. _Zuko sat up and rubbed his face with his hands. _I've been on this stupid ship too long. _Zuko snapped out of his musings when he heard a small knock on the door.

"WHA-?" Katie asked, rolling on her back and half sitting up. Her eyes popped open as though she had already been awake. She looked around in a half daze until she realized where she was and who was sitting next to her. "Aw, shit." She said with a groan and rolled over so that her back was to Zuko.

"Who is it?" Zuko asked, ignoring Katie and getting up to fetch his armor.

"It's me prince Zuko. May I come in?" Iroh called from behind the door.

"Yes uncle, go ahead." The door opened and Iroh stepped in. He immediately glanced over at Katie who was still lying facing the wall.

"We are nearing the port of Qwoll. I thought perhaps we could stop and restock and maybe try and find a way to get miss Lin home." Iroh said.

"No uncle. The avatar is still in our sights, we will keep going." Zuko said pulling on his breastplate and strapping it in place. Iroh sighed and looked back down at Katie's still form.

"May I speak with you outside nephew?" Iroh said. Zuko finished pulling on his boots and followed his uncle out the door.

"You know, we have to figure out what will be done with her sometime." Iroh said.

"I do know what we'll do with her. We'll keep on our present course. When we stop to re-supply the ship in four days we'll hand her over to the fire nation authorities at the port." Zuko said adjusting his arm bracer.

"Zuko, we can't just do that to the poor girl. I told her we would find a way to get her back home, it is dishonorable to go back on one's word." Iroh said.

"Uncle, maybe you said that, but I didn't and this is my ship. What I say goes and I say that she gets turned over to the authorities in four days." Zuko said.

"And what charges will you put against her? She has done nothing wrong." Iroh said. Zuko merely gaped back at him.

"What do you mean nothing wrong? She stowed away on a military ship. Who knows where she comes from and what things she's done? I have not heard a believable, let alone comprehensible, sentence come out of her mouth since she showed up. We will turn her over and that is final uncle." Zuko said and stormed away to the dining hall. Iroh sighed and re-entered Zuko's room. Katie hadn't moved. Iroh thought at first that perhaps she was asleep, but when he walked closer he saw that her eyes were open and she was staring at the wall.

"How are you feeling this morning miss Lin?" Iroh asked softly. At first she didn't respond, then she slowly rolled over and sat up.

"I guess as good as can be expected." She sighed, running her fingers through her hair making it stand on end.

"You must be hungry, I don't think you ate much yesterday. Would you care to join me and the prince for breakfast?" Katie had in fact not eaten anything yesterday, but she didn't think she would have been able to hold anything down if she did try to eat. She merely shook her head and buried her face into her knees. "Are you sure?" Iroh asked, placing a hand on her shoulder. She nodded. "All right. If you change your mind, feel free to come to the dining hall. There will always be someone there to assist you." Iroh left Katie alone in the room. Katie lay back down and resumed staring at the wall.

* * *

Katie barely moved throughout the rest of the day and into the night. Zuko came in late, but she still never stirred. He watched her for a few seconds to make sure she was still breathing, then he got undressed and went to sleep. When he woke up the next morning, he was surprised to see that she wasn't in the room at all. Zuko ran straight to his uncle's room and burst in.

"Uncle! The girl is gone!" Iroh looked up from an old book he was reading and smiled.

"Don't worry nephew, she's on the training deck. I showed her there myself two hours ago. I'm beginning to grow worried about her, she still hasn't eaten. Would you mind inviting her for breakfast when you go down there?" He dropped his gaze back down to his book. Zuko frowned and began walking to the training deck.

* * *

Iroh had brought Katie to the training deck when she had asked what there was to do on the ship. She couldn't have been happier when she saw what looked like a small, indoor gym. Iroh had left her to do as she pleased and in her wanderings she found a target that was roughly shaped like a human figure and weighed around forty pounds. It wasn't a very sturdy punching bag, but she was happy to find it all the same. She had completely lost track of time after she wrapped some strips of cloth around her knuckles and began wailing on the dummy. In her mind she could hear the voices of her dad and brothers giving her hints and yelling encouragements. She unloaded all the stress and confusion she had felt into the dummy, punching harder and harder with each passing minute. She had already knocked an arm off of it and the seams around the neck were beginning to fray. But she kept punching, sweat streaming down her face.

This is how Zuko found her. He entered the room and stood watching her as she dodged and punched at the dummy. She was using a technique he had never seen before. Finally she seemed to feel his eyes on her back. She turned and looked at him, wiping sweat from her eyes. Her whole body was shaking with exertion.

"Hey." She said in greeting, trying to regain her breath.

"That's an interesting fighting style. Does it have a name?" Zuko asked.

"Well, I call it Ted, but everyone else calls it boxing." Katie said smiling, but the joke was lost on him. "I'm sorry I haven't been the most sociable person or whatever. I was kinda in an emotional rut yesterday. But now I've decided to just go along with what's happening and see where it takes me." Zuko nodded slowly giving her a scrutinizing look. She had dark patches below her eyes, it didn't look like she gotten any sleep last night and she looked a lot thinner than when she had first appeared two days ago.

"Are you hungry?" Zuko said. Katie hadn't really thought about it, but now that she did she realized that her stomach was currently saying hello to her spine.

"Yeah, I think I'm getting there." She followed him out of the deck. "Oh, and sorry about that dummy thing. I didn't mean to get so carried away."

"It was only going to get burned anyway." Zuko said shrugging. They walked in silence down the hall and Katie felt the ship shift suddenly underneath her. She kept trying to walk but ended up crashing into the wall.

"Are you all right?" Zuko asked, thinking she had collapsed.

"Yeah I'm fine. I guess I just have to get used to the waves or something."

"You have a very interesting accent." Zuko said giving her another untrusting look.

"I do? In what way?"

"I've noticed that you don't pronounce your g's when a word ends in 'ing'. And just then when you said 'something', it came out more like: sum'm."

"Yeah, I guess I have a bit of a western slur. I just didn't think it was that noticeable. At least I haven't gone around saying _ain't _and _ya'll." _Katie said laughing.

"Yes, it's noticeable." Zuko said nodding as they entered the dining hall.

"It's so wonderful that you could join us miss Lin. Please, have a seat next to me." Iroh said cheerfully. Katie sat down on the cushion by his side and a servant immediately placed a bowl of some kind of porridge in front of her. Katie thought that in her current state of hunger she could have eaten four bowls of the stuff, but her shrunken stomach only allowed her a few bites before she felt full. Mostly she just guzzled water. She felt extremely dehydrated, especially after her workout. She spent the meal nodding to Iroh's attempts at sparking conversation among the three of them, but Katie had never been the biggest talker. She answered each question with a few words and nothing more.

After they got through eating. Zuko disappeared somewhere and Iroh showed Katie up to the main deck for some fresh air. It felt so wonderful to be outside. It was very warm and kind of muggy. They must have been in a tropical area. Iroh left Katie to wander as she pleased, but always made sure she was in his sight. She leaned over the railing and gazed into the deep blue water. To her delight she saw dolphins (or something closely resembling dolphins) leaping in and out of the water around the hull of the ship.

"What are you doing up here?" Katie jumped when she heard the voice and whirled around to see Zuko glaring at her. She glared right back.

"Your unclebrought me up here." She looked around and noticed that the crew was hustling around more than what would be called usual. "Is there something wrong?" Zuko glanced around until he saw his uncle.

"Yes. This ship is being boarded. Can you find my room from here?" Katie nodded and noticed a large steel ship drifting up behind them. "Good. Then get there and stay there until I come down for you." Katie nodded and looked up at the large ship once more before she turned to leave. There standing out from all the rest of his crew was a person that seemed to have been carved from the coldest of stone. Admiral Zhao.

* * *

Wahooo! Dance like a monkey! Then review like a monkey! You little monkey minions! Bwahahahahahaaaaaa. Just kidding. But please, feel free to review. It makes me feel good even though this chapter sucked.


	4. nananananananana BATMAN!

Yay! Thankyou Khazia for your reviews. You are one of my heros. In fact I was kinda worried you would think I was trying to rip off your story by writing this, but truth be told you were my inspiration. Okay, I think that's enough gushing. Here's my next chapter. I get hurt. It's sad.

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"What do you want Zhao!" Zuko demanded as soon as the admiral stepped aboard his ship. 

"Ah ah ahhh, remember your manners prince. My title is Admiral, don't forget that." Zhao said shaking a finger at Zuko as though he were being a naughty little boy.

"Fine _Admiral. _What do you want?"

"Isn't it obvious prince Zuko. A week ago, I captured the avatar. At the time, your ship was only a few miles away from the holding cell in which he was being kept. Then, a masked thief entered that tower and stole the avatar from me. Low and behold, your ship was gone the next morning before news could have leaked that the avatar was missing." Zhao said, smirking at Zuko.

"So we shipped out that morning. What do you want here?"

"Prince Zuko, I know you were the thief, I know you stole the avatar from me and I have strong feeling that he is on this ship."

"If I had the avatar I would be heading home to present him to my father. I wouldn't still be sailing to the north." Zuko said. He and Zhao had begun circling each other, looking for weakness or openings.

"Well, if the avatar is not here, I'm sure you wouldn't mind if my men checked your ship." He made a hand motion and twenty soldiers surrounded Zuko and his crew while more disappeared below deck to search all the rooms. Zhao smiled when Zuko exchanged a nervous glance with his uncle.

* * *

Katie paced around the room nervously running her fingers through her hair. _What was going on up there? _She could hear footsteps in the hall and let out a sigh of relief thinking it was Zuko or Iroh. But then she heard the sound of doors slamming open. The footsteps and slamming doors grew closer and closer. Katie looked around thinking that she could find somewhere to hide, but there was nowhere. Then the footsteps stopped outside the door to Zuko's room. The handle turned and the door burst open with a crash. Two soldiers poked their heads in taking a defensive stance. They gawked at Katie and she gawked back at them. Then they exchanged a smile that she didn't like at all.

* * *

"Admiral. There's no sign of the avatar, but we found this girl below." Zhao turned to the soldier and took in the sight of the strange girl he was holding on to. He had never seen so much exposed skin being flaunted around so openly. There were barely sleeveson her shirt and there were nearly two inches of flesh visible between the top of her baggy pants and the bottom of her shirt. The clothing itself was of very fine quality, however scarce it may have been.

"Well well, what is this?" He asked, turning to Zuko looking amused.

"She is nothing but a slave. We are taking her to the next port to trade with." Zuko said without batting an eye. Zhao let out a little 'hmm' sound and stepped closer to inspect the girl.

"She's quite tall for a woman." He said and gently touched her arm. "She's strong as well." He lifted his hand to her chin, pulling her face up forcefully and twisting her head side to side. He then pulled back her lips and looked at her teeth as though she were a horse up for sale. "I'm surprised Zuko. I never thought that you would be one to own slaves. I also must ask where you found one that is so healthy." Katie tried to struggle away from his harsh hands, but the soldier that had brought her up was holding her arms tightly behind her back. Instead she tried to bite at the Admiral's finger. Zhao merely laughed. "She's a feisty one as well. I'll save you the effort of trying to find a slave trader and buy her myself."

"I'm afraid not Admiral. We already have a deal with a trader." Zuko said. Zhao glared at him, still holding Katie's chin. Then quite suddenly he turned back to her and kissed her, hard. He forced his tongue into her mouth. Katie squirmed harder then ever to get out of her captors grip. She could already feel bruises forming in her mouth; she tried to yell but was unable to. All around her she could hear the laughs and jeers from Zhao's crew and the indignant yells from Iroh and Zuko. Finally she found an opening she could use as an advantage and brought her knee up between the Admiral's legs as hard as she could. Zhao withdrew immediately with a hiss of pain, almost doubling over. Katie jumped off the ground and lashed out with her legs catching Zhao in the chest. It probably would have had more of an effect if Zhao hadn't been wearing armor and if Katie hadn't been barefoot. But he was still knocked ungraciously onto his tuckas. The soldier that had been holding her arms was unprepared for this move and had been pushed backwards. He released his grip on her arms when they both fell to the ground. Katie hastily tried to scramble away from the soldier and get to her feet when she felt a boot tip make harsh contact with her ribs. She then felt the sting of the back of someone's hand. That someone was wearing a ring that left a deep scratch from the corner of her eye, down her cheek and almost to her nose. Two large hands closed tightly around her neck. She was turned forcefully and pushed against the wall. She looked fearfully into the flaming eyes of Admiral Zhao. His fingers closed tighter around her neck. She couldn't breath. She felt herself being slowly lifted up so that she was barely standing on tip-toe. She tried to scratch and pry his hands away, but he was too strong. Her efforts were useless. She opened and closed her mouth trying to gasp for air, tears began streaming down her face. She could barely hear the sounds of Iroh's voice over the drumming of her heart in her ears. _This guy could snap my neck like a twig! _She thought to herself.

"Admiral, she is the property of this ship and you have no jurisdiction in this matter. If you do not release her now I will report your actions to the Firelord himself." Iroh said stepping forward. Zhao, however, knew that Firelord Ozai wouldn't give a damn about a slave girl, even if she did belong to his son and brother. He tightened his grip on her neck even more. She still tried to claw at his hands, but her struggle was growing weaker with each passing second. Zhao sensed a thrill deep down inside as he felt her life draining away beneath his hands. Then he felt a burning fist rest forcefully at the base of his skull.

"My uncle told you to release her Admiral Zhao. If you want to keep your head where it is, you will do as he said." Zuko hissed into his ear. Zhao glared over his shoulder and, after a few more crucial seconds, released his grip on Katie's throat. She dropped to her knees, coughing and gasping for breath. Iroh came to her side and checked her wounds.

"Your uncle is right. I have no jurisdiction when it comes to privately owned slaves. But the second she leaves your hands prince Zuko, she will be mine," Zhao hissed, he then turned back to look at the gasping and sobbing girl, "and she will suffer. FALL OUT MEN!" He yelled to his crew. They all boarded back on Zhao's ship and slowly drifted away.

"Are you all right?" Zuko asked, kneeling down beside Katie and his uncle after Zhao had left from his sight.

"Yeah, I think I'll be all right." Katie said between gasps and coughs. She wiped tears from her eyes hastily and clutched at her ribs. A drop of blood fell and splattered on the deck from the gash on her face.

"Come on, let's get her down below." Iroh said grabbing one arm and helping her to her feet. They led Katie back down to Zuko's room and called for the ship's doctor. He cleaned up her face as best he could and slathered some goop on her cheek to keep the wound from reopening. Surprisingly there wasn't much damage done to her neck other then a lot of bruising. The same was to be said for her ribs.

"All and all, I think you came out on top m'gell. From they way he was walking, I don't think Zhao will be sitting down comfortably for a while." The kind doctor said to her, his eyes twinkling.

"If you say so." She said giving him a weak smile. He bustled around humming to himself for a while, he pulled out a small packet of some kind of liquid and dropped it in a cup of water. He heated it with his hands and stirred it around.

"Drink this. It will help with the pain." He said handing her the cup. Normally Katie refused painkillers as though they were the devil. She would suffer a massive migraine attack for several days before breaking down and pulling out the ibuprofen. But right now she didn't care if this stuff ate away the lining of her stomach. She guzzled it down. It tasted horrible and burned the sides of her already stinging throat.

"I'm starting to think I don't like it here." She said gasping for breath after she finished drinking the potion.

"I am very sorry that this happened to you. Especially on my ship." Zuko said quietly. Katie looked up and saw from the pained look in his eyes that the apology was legit.

"Yeah, well. It's not like any of this is your fault." Katie said rubbing at her throat.

"I know what will cheer everyone up!" Iroh exclaimed. He held out his hands as though giving the most important announcement one could give. "We will advance music night to tonight!"

"Oh dear lord no." Zuko groaned. Katie couldn't help but smile.

"That sounds like fun." She said hoarsely.

"Please, don't encourage him." Zuko muttered.

* * *

Later that day Iroh proudly showed Katie a small number of instruments that were played during music night. There were an assortment of wind instruments and several things she had no idea what could be done with. But in the very back of the closet, she found something that was halfway between a Ukulele and a banjo (she decided to call it an Ukujo). Katie didn't play any type of guitar exactly, but she did play the violin and was an accomplished string plucker. She had no idea what note the strings tuned to, so she tuned them to the G,D,A,E of the violin. She retired to Zuko's room and spent the day strumming out all the tunes she could remember. She moved from playing the _Bacchanal Concerto in G minor_ to the Beatle's _Yellow submarine. _She had begun picking out a tune from _Phantom of the Opera_ when Zuko walked in.

"How are you feeling?" He asked awkwardly.

"Fine." She said looking down at the fingers on her left hand, trying to find the right note. She found it and played it loudly, giving Zuko a triumphant grin. He furrowed his eyebrows at her.

"You are a most curious person." He said.

"If you mean I'm weird, I already know that." Katie said picking another tune from the library of her mind and began playing it. It was a fast one; her fingers could barely keep up with each other as she skimmed over the strings. She knew Zuko was still watching her so she raised her head and met his gaze. "Can I help you with something."

"No." He said simply and continued to watch her blurring fingers. Katie felt really awkward but kept playing anyways. At least he wasn't glaring at her anymore.

"Dude, what do you want? You're really starting to creep me out." She said after a few minutes. Zuko cocked an eyebrow at her.

"This is my room and my ship. I would suggest you don't make demands to me." The glare was back.

"Geez, I'm sorry. Don't get your panties in a bunch." Katie leaned back against the wall trying to find a comfortable position for her ribs before she began playing again. Her fingers were beginning to feel raw, but it was a good feeling. Music was one of her outlets along with writing and drawing. It was something that could consume her mind and block out the world. When Katie looked up again Zuko had finally stepped away to wash his face in a basin of water. He also took his hair down and retied it. The whole while Katie watched him intently. Even if he was a jerk, he was still pretty dern hot. The ship decided at that moment to hit a particularly large wave taking Katie off guard and the lurch jarred her rib.

"Shammit!" she growled and sat up straight clutching at her ribs.

"Is that supposed to be a curse word?" Zuko asked laughing.

"Actually, it's two. You have a really sick sense of humor you know." Katie said with a scowl. Zuko merely shrugged.

"Music night is about to begin. I suggest you wait here a few minutes so you don't have to wear a hat." Zuko said as he began to walk out of the room.

"Just what kind of hat are you talking about?" Katie asked warily.

"You'll see soon enough, and trust me, you don't want to wear one." Zuko left leaving Katie to contemplate the hats.

* * *

Well, I guess you could call that a cliffy. If you want the next chapter I expect five more reviews. Bwahahaaa. Then again I'll probably post it even if I don't get the reviews because it's a chapter I'm really excited about. But the reviews would be nice anyways.


	5. dance like a monkey!

YAY! Reviews! I've already got more after four chapters of this storythan I have with my other story which is thirteen chapters long. Well, before I acknowledge my reviewers I want to tell a cruel story about my nephews seventh birthday which was today. He had asked me to get him Pokemon cards a while back, so I got him a deck of sixty cards and that was it. Then I found a HUGE box and filled it with newspapers and put his present on top, so he thought he was getting this gargantuan present when really it wasn't that much. Bwahaha. Anyhoo.

**Starchild9876: **I'm glad you liked my 'shammit' word. I kinda ripped it off one of my friends, but I'm sure she won't mind.

**Zulaya: **The whole snake thing was based on a true experience and I set it free last week. Teeheehee, you owe me ten bucks. JK.

**MitaraiWaterDragon: **Wow, I never expected to be called a god! Thanks for the compliment, for this I will not smite you.

**Khazia: **Yeah, I think most people would barf on Zhao in that situation, I would just take more of a personal pleasure of giving the family jewels a good kick.

**Lovergal1227: **I'm glad your friends are enjoying it as well. Tell them I would be glad to receive reviews from them too, I giggle maniacally when I see I have bunches of reviews. And tell your guy friend not to worry, the secret of the hats will soon be revealed.

**Plutobaby 494: **Yes, Zhao is rude. He should be dissected just because it would be cool to watch as a doctor ripped out his black heart.

**Zukopunk: **Sorry about the misspelling, I was too lazy to check the bottle. As for the chapter title, I never really meant for it to make sense, all the chapter titles are just some of the random sayings from the black hole that is my mind.

Now, play that funky music!

* * *

Katie had tried to freshen up as best she could before she left Zuko's room with her the Ukujo tucked under her arm. She was really beginning to feel gross from lack of shower and deodorant, but she had found by now that B.O was the most common thing around in the avatar world. In fact, in enclosed spaces the overpowering smell could peel paint and strip the lining from your nostrils. So she figured it really didn't matter if she contributed a little to the pungent odor. When Katie walked into the dining hall where music night was being held, it was extremely difficult to hold back her laughter. There were nearly a dozen grown men wearing the most outlandish, colorful hats she had ever seen. Iroh stepped forward happily wearing a hat himself and brandished something that looked like a frilly pink sombrero on steroids. 

"Ah, miss Lin. For a while I didn't think you would be coming. I saved a hat especially for you. I find that if everyone looks silly one does not feel as foolish for performing." He plopped the hat on her head and it nearly swallowed her whole. She giggled and tilted it upward so she could at least see. Zuko had managed to evade the hats and was lounging against a cushion with a bottle of liquor in his hand. There were ten more minutes of laughter and confusion as the men swapped hats and poked fun at each other. Finally things settled a bit and Iroh stood up.

"Alright. Who's going first?" A few gazes shifted over to Katie, but a young soldier volunteered happily. He stood up in the middle of the room and after several cat calls from his friends he began singing a funny little ditty about a girl that left a man for a piece of cake. He was completely off key, but that just made it all the more hilarious. After him, several others volunteered to sing or play a tune on an instrument. But then they turned on Katie. She suddenly felt extremely bashful about getting up in front of all these strangers, but after several encouraging yells she stepped over to the middle of the room. She tried to think of what would be best to play and finally settle on a fiddle song called _turkey in the straw. _It was the fastest song she knew how to play and the men cheered as she played it through twice, steadily speeding up the tempo until she couldn't keep up with herself. They all laughed by the time she reached the end. She stood up and gave a sweeping bow before returning to her seat. The music night went on for a few more hours. She played a few more songs between the acts of others and she was offered alcohol by nearly every man there, which she refused. One man insisted more than the rest, Katie recognized him as one of the creepy guards. He got to the point where he was almost scary, but luckily some other soldiers set him in his place.

By the time midnight arrived she was so comfortable with the men and they were so drunk that she even began singing to the tunes she played. This was the first time she had ever sung a solo in public. She did Doug Kershaw's _Cajun Joe _and a few Weird Al songs, which were a tremendous hit. Then things began to slow down a bit and songs about love and tragedies began to emerge. They all laid around in a hypnotized stupor to listen to these songs. Then they turned once more to Katie when there was a pause in volunteers. She stepped forward and chewed on the tip of her thumb, which was growing sorer by the second from plucking the hard, metal strings. She wracked her memory for a sad song and finally one came to mind. She went through it in her head really quick to make sure she could remember it all and strummed an introduction. All the other songs she had sung had been really fast and goofy, so these guys hadn't really heard her actually sing. Now she softened her voice and laid in a little vibrato as she sang.

Listen children to a story

That was written long ago.

'Bout a kingdom on a mountain,

and the valley folk below.

On the mountain was a treasure,

Buried deep beneath a stone.

The valley people swore they'd have it

For their very own.

So the people of the valley,

Sent a message up the hill.

Asking for the buried treasure;

Tons of gold for which they'd kill.

Came an answer from the kingdom,

"With our brothers we will share,

All the secrets of our mountain,

All the riches buried there."

Now the valley cried with anger,

"Mount your horses, draw your swords."

And they killed the mountain people,

So they won their just reward.

Now they stood beside the treasure,

On the mountain, dark and red.

Turned the stone and looked beneath it,

"Peace on Earth" was all it said.

Go ahead and hate your neighbor,

Go ahead and cheat a friend.

Do it in the name of heaven,

You can justify it in the end.

There won't be any trumpets blowin',

Come the judgment day.

And on the bloody morning after,

One tin soldier rides away.

She let her voice linger on the last note. She looked up and grinned sheepishly as the crowd erupted into cheers. She bowed once more and sat back down. She caught Zuko staring at her, but he looked away hastily. She couldn't help but smile; she decided she really liked music night. Katie declined singing anymore slow songs and the pace began to speed up again as more drinks were passed around. Pretty soon Katie was the only sober one left. She plucked out song after song and laughed her head off as the grown men began dancing with each other, several pulled her in to dance as well which she joined in happily. They couldn't even hear the music over the noise they were making.

The sign that music night was over was when the first soldier passed out on the floor. Nobody wanted to be this first person, because those that remembered who it was the next day would give this person hell for stopping music night early. Tonight's case was the first young soldier who had sung. He was leaning back tipping a bottle into his mouth trying to get the last precious drops of liquid when he merely fell backwards with a thud. Those sitting next to him tried to cover him up so that nobody would notice that he'd keeled over, but Iroh accidentally tripped over his body and called music night to an end.

Katie was a bit nervous about sleeping in the same room with a drunken Zuko and was happy to see that he had only had enough to be slightly tipsy and still had a clear head.

"I don't see how you can't stand music night, I had a blast." Katie said as they walked back to his room together. Zuko merely shrugged, trying to focus all his concentration on walking straight. He lost the battle and swerved right into Katie. "Easy there cowboy." She said catching him. She put his arm around her shoulder to steady him and lead the way.

"You know, you're still wearing that hat." Zuko said. The hat in question was poking him uncomfortably in the side of his head. Katie giggled and took it off with her free hand, plopping it instead on Zuko. It was held up partially by his ponytail so it only barely covered his eyes. He looked down at Katie and gave her a goofy grin. She giggled again and fumbled with the doorknob. "I think that I have misjudged you, and I'm sorry." He murmured.

"What do you mean?" Katie asked once the door was open.

"I haven't trusted you and I have been quite a…" he stumbled for a word

"Raunch?" Katie said helpfully.

"Yeah, I guess. Mind you, I still don't trust you…but I'm willing to try to at least get along."

"Hmm, well that's good…I guess." Katie said. She deposited Zuko unceremoniously onto his bed and crawled into her own with a groan. She was sore and stiff from such a long day. She fell asleep almost instantly, her head still buzzing with music.

* * *

Katie woke up at around the same time as Zuko the next morning. 

"Wow," he mumbled, "I had the weirdest dream about a rabid hogmonkey. It kept asking me for a new pair of shoes." Katie grinned over at him. This was the most normal teenage thing she had ever heard him say. She guessed he'd meant what he'd said the night before about trying to get along with her more. So she decided to go along with it and see how long this lasted.

"You think that's weird. I just had a dream that I was home and my family was waging a war against the red coats in our back yard. I went inside our house to check on my nieces and nephews, but while I was in there, queen Victoria, who was up in my parents' room, died. I tried to get outside to help fight the battle, but Legolas was guarding the door and he was wearing red socks." Zuko gave her a bleary eyed stare.

"Did you know that I didn't understand a word of that?"

"Yeah, I figured as much." Katie said sitting up and stretching. Every muscle in her body was sore and stiff. Her ribs were killing her and her throat was throbbing. She stood up and stumbled over to Zuko's water basin to wash her face and caught her reflection in a small mirror. "Holy crap, it looks like I got bashed in the face with a two-by-four. Repeatedly" She said fingering the cut and bruises.

"It doesn't look that bad." Zuko said. He sat up with a groan and pinched between his eyes trying to get rid of his hangover. Katie watched for a second then walked up behind him.

"Here, hold still." She murmured.

"What are you doing?" Zuko asked suspiciously.

"My brother is a cranial massage therapist. Just trust me okay." She didn't wait for his answer. She placed her thumbs at the base of his skull and pressed gently; kneading the pressure points her brother had shown her there, at his temples and at the bridge of his nose. Zuko leaned back into her touch and let out a soft groan as she began massaging a tender spots in his scalp. "Better?" She asked.

"No." he lied, hoping the massage would go on. But Iroh chose that time to rap gently on the door. Katie immediately stepped away from Zuko and was pretending to be straightening her bed. Zuko grunted in reply and Iroh took that as permission of entrance.

"How is everyone feeling this morning?" Iroh asked cheerfully as he entered the room bearing a tray with three mugs of steaming liquid. "I know I have a headache all the way down to my toes." He sat down and rested the tray on Zuko's dragon shrine. He passed one mug to Zuko who took it gratefully and another to Katie, she took an apprehensive sniff, it was coffee. As Iroh began rambling on and on about something or another, Zuko drained his mug and Katie quickly switched his empty one for her full one. He gave her a queer look, but drank it all the same. She had received enough comments about not drinking alcohol; she didn't need more about not drinking caffeine.

"…and then there's that pesky Zhao who is still close behind us…" Iroh was saying.

"WHAT!" Zuko said nearly sloshing the remains of his coffee on the floor.

"Admiral Zhao is still right behind us prince Zuko. I think he's following us to our next stop. You did tell him we would be selling miss Lin there, and he did tell you that he meant to purchase her." Zuko groaned and rubbed his face muttering a few cuss words.

"I'm going to speak with the helmsman." Zuko said. He stood up with a grunt and left the room.

"Anyways. Did you enjoy music night last night my dear?" Iroh asked putting the mugs back on the tray.

"Heck yes I did." Katie said grinning, trying to push Zhao out of her mind.

"We began music night a year and a half ago. It has been held once a month ever since. I can't tell you what a relief it is to actually hear something new, especially coming from a pretty voice." He said grinning at her.

"I was hoping everyone would have forgotten about that." Katie said, blushing.

"Singing for others to hear is nothing to be ashamed of miss Lin." Katie looked down at her feet and began picking absently at her blue toenail polish.

"Um, General Iroh?"

"Please, I'm retired. Just call me Iroh."

"Iroh? What's going to happen to me?"

"What do you mean?"

"Just that. What's going to happen to me? I know you guys can't haul me around with you forever." Iroh sat back and thought for a moment. He wasn't going to tell her what Zuko had planned for her.

"I'm not quite sure yet. We'll just see what the circumstances are in two days when we reach our next port." Katie nodded and looked out the window biting her bottom lip. _How am I gonna get home. _Was the main thought on her mind. She was surprised to realize this was the first time she had really asked herself that. Her first day here had been spent freaking out, the second was spent feeling sorry for herself and yesterday was too hectic to really think about anything. How could she have gotten here anyways?

"Would you be kind enough to help me with this tray? That coffee was quite strong. My hands are now shaking so badly I don't think I could hold it straight." Katie nodded and picked up the tray. _I guess I'll just have to go with the flow and hope it takes me home._

_

* * *

_

There you have it. Maybe the chapter wasn't as great as I led on that it would be, but I had a great time writing it. Please review.


	6. yum

Ya know, sometimes I really fear for the human species. I had my first day of Biology today and the teacher believes that photosynthesis could bring about world peace and most the girls in the class don't know what a mammal is. One thought they were the ones that live in the water. Anyways, time for shoutouts.

**Newsiefreak9er9er: **that was actually a dream I had a while back. It was a lot more complex than what I wrote, but that's okay, I at least got the main point across.

**Athenera: **I'm glad you ended up enjoying it. As for me and Zuko, you'll just have to read and find out (wink wink)

**ZukoPunk: **So you like to read about me being beaten up (this is said as indignantly as possible). Just kidding. Thanx for the review.

**BrookBliss: **I'm glad you like it but you should read Masako Moonshades stuff before you say I'm the best. As for the trio, I still don't quite know where I'm taking this story. I can tell you they'll make an appearance, but I don't know for sure if they'll actually play a role in this story yet.

**MitariWaterDragon: **Yay! Plushies! I'm glad you think they're all in character. Sometimes I'm afraid I'm straying away from how they really are, but then I decide that it's fiction so I really don't care.

**Khazia: **Wow, I did't think anybody knew that song besides me and a few people 'round here. I learned it at camp a few years back and thought it was sweet.

**Lovergal1227: **Thanx to your friends. Yes, Zhao should die, I'm sorry Zuko seems OOC. I just don't know him that well. And if you want a hat you'll have to take it up with Iroh.

Now read my minions! Read for your lives!

* * *

Katie took a deep breath and stretched her arms over her head. She felt her bruises protest, but she ignored them rolling her head in a circle and feeling her neck pop. She was sitting alone on the floor of the training deck. Practically nobody used it, so she figured it would be the best place to be alone and do some Yoga. Not that she could remember most of the moves and positions, but she was stretching her muscles and joints with her head completely clear and that was good enough for her. She straightened her back and rotated around slowly, back and forth. She could hear several satisfying snaps as her spine popped back into place. She uncrossed her left leg and stretched it out in front of her, leaning over she wrapped her hand around her foot and stayed there for eight seconds. She then switched to her right leg, but for some reason that side had never been as flexible so she barely could barely touch her toes.

"I have to say you never cease to surprise me." Zuko's voice said behind her. Katie continued stretching with her eyes closed. She moved both legs out in front of her and leaned forward, wrapping her arms below her knees.

"In what way do I surprise you prince Zuko?"

"You're just plain strange. What are you doing this time? Is it part of your boxing ritual?" He walked around to sit down in front of her and began mimicking her movements.

"No, this is something to clear the mind and it's good for the body." Katie said opening one eye to see what he was doing. "So what brings you down here into the forgotten realm?"

"I just felt like exercising." He said simply. Katie gave a little grunt of acknowledgment and closed the eye again. She concentrated on deep breathing, filling her stomach with air, then her lungs. After a moment she opened her eyes and saw Zuko staring at her.

"What? Do I have a booger?" He smiled gently and shook his head.

"I've been meaning to ask you. Are you a warrior from your tribe or village?" he asked.

"Mmmm, why do you ask?"

"Because I've been on the receiving end of your fighting skills and your nose looks as if it's been met by a few blows." Zuko said. Katie raised a finger and felt the crooked part of her nose.

"I didn't break my nose fighting. It happened in a freak softball incident (the freak being the catcher on my team, the softball being the projectile that crunched my face at 42 mph) and no, I'm not a warrior. I just happened to grow up in a house with a dad and three brothers who are all more than ten years older then me, and each of them was on the wrestling team. I had no choice but to learn to defend myself from their roughhousing at an early age." She said twisting her body into another stretching position, which Zuko copied.

"Do you have any sisters?" Zuko asked.

"Um, yeah. One. Why the sudden flare of interest anyways?" She asked suspiciously.

"I told you I wanted to get along with you better. I figure talking is a way of doing this."

"Oh. Well…what about you? Do you have any brothers or sisters?"

"Hmm, one legitimate sister. There are probably others that I don't know about though." Katie remembered seeing a young girl in _the Storm, _she had looked like a total beoch.

"Do you get along with her very well?"

"No." Katie didn't need any more of an answer. She had read a book on Queen Elizabeth and knew how siblings in a royal family usually got along.

"So tell me. What is a softball and what is wrestling?" Zuko asked following her into another stretch. They continued on in this pleasant conversation for quite some time. He would ask questions about comments she had said earlier. She told him about boxing and wrestling and Zuko decided that these techniques weren't effective enough for a woman. So he pulled her to her feet and began teaching her several fighting moves. After nearly an hour, Katie had completely forgotten about the old, suspicious, glarey Zuko. This new Zuko was still not the most talkative and left her to carry on most of the conversation, but at least he was more pleasant. After a while he even loosened up enough to make fun of her as she struggled with some of the more complicated moves.

"Maybe I'll just stick to boxing." Katie said breathlessly from the floor where she had been knocked to for the hundredth time. Zuko reached for her hand and pulled her back to her feet.

"Your boxing is for facing an opponent of equal strength to yours. You need to learn something that you can use efficiently against anyone. Now, attack me again."

"Augh, you're worse than Blaine." She said taking a stance.

"Who?"

"My brother. He coached me in basketball once when I was eleven. He kept me on the court for almost two hours until I could do a proper layup." She said. Then she attacked as Zuko opened his mouth to say something, taking him off guard. He still dodged her easily and brought his hand back and placed it at the base of her neck. Katie reached around and grabbed that hand. She pulled him over her back and rolled sideways so that he flipped over her landing on his back on the ground.

"HA! That, chika, is a wrestling move. Now don't tell me it won't do me any good." Zuko gaped up at her and smiled.

"That was pretty good." He admitted. Katie plopped down on the ground next to him and wiped sweat away from her eyes.

"Whew, now that I've finally pinned you, let's call it a day." Zuko nodded and sat up.

"Tell me more about your family." He said leaning back on his hands.

"Well, I have eight nieces and nephews plus one more that should be born any day now…" she stopped. Had time passed the same way in her world as it had passed here? Was her family worried about her? Was her newest niece born yet? Would she ever see any ofthem again?

"Katie?" Katie looked up at Zuko slightly surprised. It was the first time she had heard her first name since arriving here.

"Huh?"

"Are you all right?"

"Um, yeah, I guess I just got a wave of homesickness for a second there. Do you know what time it is?"

"Probably about lunchtime." Zuko said rubbing his stomach. They stood up to meet Iroh in the dining hall.

One huge difference between Katie and the firebenders was spicy food. The crew seemed to think that anything that wasn't as spicy as authentic Texas chili was not worth coming in close contact with their taste buds. Katie on the other hand couldn't stand anything spicy AT ALL. She had mostly stuck to eating bread and fruit since she arrived after making the mistake of taking a huge bite of a glorious smelling fish and coming close to suffocating from the extreme heat. After lunch Katie retrieved her sketchbook from Zuko's room and went up onto the main deck. The dolphin creatures were still skimming the water in front of the hull; so she sat down to make a sketch of them.

"Good day miss Nightingale," one soldier called in passing, "would you mind giving us one of your tunes to lift our spirits?"

"Sorry pal, you ain't drunk anymore so your spirit will probably crack if I started singing again." Katie called over her shoulder and went on with her sketch. The soldier chuckled and went on his way.

"All right, but I'll be coming back here with a bottle of good stuff and I'll expect some music then." He called over his shoulder and disappeared. Katie smiled and looked up from her sketch to watch the waves rolling beneath her. She moved her gaze up to the sky, trying to discern shapes from the puffy white clouds when she saw a glimpse or a shadow. She concentrated hard on that spot and saw it again. It was Appa. She gasped and tried to watch the path the giant bison made in the sky, but he was flying high above the clouds and she didn't see him again.

"What is it?" Katie whirled around to see Zuko standing right behind her looking up at the sky with a piercing gaze.

"Um," Katie turned and looked back up at the sky. She spotted a sea eagle and pointed at it, "That bird. It's awesome, do you know what kind it is?"

"It's an eagle." Zuko said picking it out from the sky.

"Oh. Why were you standing behind me anyways? Are you following me or something?"

"Yes, I am."

"Okay…why?"

"It's my uncle's idea. There are a few members of the crew he doesn't trust, so he doesn't want you to be alone anywhere except my room." Katie's mind drifted back to the two guards she had seen her first day and shivered. "Are you cold?"

"Er, no I just had a cold chill." She looked around at all the crew members with a new light now. Everyone of them looked like a dirty rapist at that moment. "I think I'm going to head back in." Zuko nodded and escorted her back to his room, then left her alone to do as she pleased. Katie grabbed the Ukujo from the floor by her mattress and plucked at the strings absently. _How am I going to get home? _

_

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_

Please review.


	7. gasp of all gasps!

I swear my friend is plotting my death. I was wearing some 'Nightmare before christmas' socks she gave me for my birthday on our wood floor and nearly broke my neck. I guess that's what I get for calling her short so often. Anyhoo. SHOUTOUTS!

**ZukoPunk: **Well, I hope you didn't hurt yourself falling out of your chair. And I know you didn't mean that, I was just messing with you. Really, most the stuff I say can't be taken seriously.

**Lovergal1227: **Yes, I am 17. But really, can anyone ever be too old for cartoons (I say this so I don't sound like a loser). Even if I am too old, my excuse is that cartooning is a field I want to get into when I eventually grow up, so it's best to have a strong background in it;-)

**Khazia: **I'm glad you like the ukujo. And I'm sorry I forgot to answer your question earlier, yes I am a Napolean Dynamite fan. In fact I'm wearing a 'vote for Pedro' shirt at this very second.

**Newsiefreak9er9er: **I'm glad that you were happy to see Appa. I still don't know if I'll bring the trio into the story though. Ideas at this point are welcome.

**Plutobaby494: **Yay! excitement!

**Zulaya: **Yes, I fear going back to my biology class tomorrow. I know boxing and yoga are a weird mix, but I know boxing because my dad and brothers practically forced me to learn it and I do yoga to prove that I have free will.

**MitariWaterDragon: **I must say, I've never been glomped before. You're fan-girlyness always brings a smile to my face. I would love to be your cousin, but as soon as we become related I will forget your name. That is what has happened with all my other relatives. So it's better if we're just buds.

Well, I don't feel to strongly for this chapter. I should probably go through it and retype some stuff to make it clearer, but to tell the truth I'm just too tired and lazy right now and have a paper due tomorrow. So ya'll get it as it is.

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When Katie woke up on her fifth day in the avatar world, Zuko wasn't anywhere to be seen. She had just washed her face when he walked in the room.

"Good morning." Katie said cheerfully wiping her face on a towel.

"Yes, and you as well. We have stopped to restock supplies. We'll take you ashore, but I need to talk to you first." He sat down on his bed and motioned for her to sit next to him. He rubbed his hands over his face trying to think of where to begin. "I want you to tell me where you're from."

"I already did." Katie said with a shrug.

"Ah, yes. Yew-ta. But how do you get there from here?"

"I don't think you can get there from here." Katie said and began fiddling with her toes.

"You're not being very helpful." He said, she could see that his teeth were clenched. Katie had nearly forgotten about his short fuse.

"I'm sorry, but I can't explain where I'm from or how I got here."

"And why not."

"Because I don't know. Like I told you, I just woke up and I was here." Zuko rested his elbows on his knees and leaned forward with a sigh.

"Well then, the next question is what are we going to do with you?"

"That's what I've been asking." Katie said gazing up at the ceiling. Zuko thought back to his conversation with his uncle about turning her in to the authorities, but so much had changed since then. The biggest factor was Admiral Zhao. He was afraid of what he would do if he managed to get a hold of her. And this would be no problem due to his rank. Another factor was that Zuko was really starting to like Katie. He had never experienced actualfriendship before; he had never thought it was important. But he felt like his head was clearer and his heart was lighter since she had arrived.

"Well, we can either leave you here on this port. I have some distant relatives that livenearby that could help you. But there's a good chance that Zhao would come after you because of the whole occurrence the other day. _Or, _I will allow you to stay on my ship for a short time longer." Zuko tried to hide how much he wanted her to choose the latter. Katie pretended to think it over for a while, but really there was only one plausible choice.

"Zhao can't touch me as long as I'm on your ship right?" There wasn't really a guarantee, but Zuko nodded anyways. "I think I would rather stay here then." Zuko tried to hide his smile.

"Then if you don't mind. My uncle wishes to take you clothes shopping, and he wants you to wear armor into the city so that Zhao doesn't suspect anything." He stood up and walked over to his closet. He pulled out a suit of armor and handed it to her. Katie was surprised at its weight. How could these guys wear these all day, let alone jump around like a bunch of squirrels. Zuko left the room so she could change into the gray underclothing, then stepped back in to help her put on the armor. The whole thing weighed almost fifty pounds and it was extremely uncomfortable. Katie rolled her shoulders trying to shift it to a less pinching position. Zuko gave her some flour/water paste gunk to put on her face to cover her bruises and thenshe put on a helmet, which weighed another ten pounds

"Do you think you'll be able to move in this?" Zuko asked with a smirk as he fumbled with one of the last straps. Katie snorted.

"If I can haul a forty pound pack five miles up the Uintah's in the rain with a pulled muscle, I think I can do this." She said moving her arms experimentally. Zuko smiled and motioned for her to follow him out the room. At first she felt like an invisible hand was trying to grind her into the ground, but by the time they got to the deck she had almost gotten the hang of moving. Katie froze when she stepped out into the sunlight. Up on deck were a dozen very big monsters. Zuko smiled at hertensed figureand walked right up to one of the creatures giving it a friendly pat on the shoulder.

"You don't have to be afraid. These things are the best-trained Komodo rhino's in the entire Firenation. Come here and I'll show you how to mount one, we'll be riding them into town." Katie glared at him. These things were pretty freaky, but she wouldn't say she was afraid of them. She walked confidently up to the rhino Zuko was standing next to, put her foot in the stirrup and hoisted herself up. She made a clicking noise with her tongue and gently kicked the beast's side.

"Are you coming prince Zuko?" she called over her shoulder, steering the rhino towards the plank. Zuko mounted his own beast and caught up with her quickly.

"You are so…"

"Curious, odd, weird, strange. Yes, you've told me."

"Where did you learn to ride rhinos?" Zuko asked.

"I've never ridden a rhino before, but I've been riding horses since I was five." Zuko was about to ask her what horses were but saw Zhao's ship docked a ways down.

"Hm, you should probably pull back with the others now so that nobody gets suspicious." Katie slowed the rhino down and fell back so that she was riding next to one of the soldiers who began humming _Cajun Joe. _The city where they were going to do their purchasing was a small distance from the dock, which was quite peculiar. It took almost ten minutes to reach a paddock where they paid for the rhinos to be kept. Katie was about to find Zuko and walk next to him when she spotted Zhao. He was glancing around at all the soldiers with a frown. Fear and anger burned inside of her when she looked at him. She wanted to jump back on her rhino and trample the piece of scum into the dirt. Instead she stayed with Zuko's soldiers and watched the arrogant shit swagger up to Zuko.

"Prince Zuko, may I accompany you and your group into the city?" He said putting up the friendliest tone he could, but there was no way for him to hide the acid in his voice. Zuko merely glared at him and began walking away from the paddock. "I was hoping to see your pretty young friend again. I could have sworn you said she would be sold today."

"Yes, and she will be. I'm going to speak to the trader later today." Zuko said evenly.

"Why prolong the inevitable prince Zuko? I'm going to get the wench sooner or later, so I would advise to just put her in my hands now if you don't want her to suffer a longer death than I already have planned for her."

"I was always told that a man is measured by his greatest enemies. It's rather pathetic that yours is a teenage girl." Zuko said with a smirk. Zhao's eye twitched dangerously.

"Mark my words young prince, I will get her and when I'm done with her corpse _you _will be my next target and your fate will be much worse." Zhao spat and turned, disappearing inside a pub. Zuko stopped and waited for his crew to come closer.

"Men, restock and get back to the ship. We sail at nightfall." He took a step closer to Katie and murmured for only her to hear, "Meet me at a fountain at the north side of the city in half an hour. And be careful." He walked off with his uncle at his side and disappeared into the crowd.

Katie had no idea what she was supposed to do for a half an hour and standing around doing nothing would be too suspicious. So she decided to find the fountain so she wouldn't get lost later. She peered into the numerous shops curiously as she passed, but never went inside.

"Hey soldier, lookin' for a good time?" An overly made-up girl in her twenties asked Katie as she passed the fourth pub in a row. Katie hastily shook her head and scurried away feeling extremely unclean. Katie found the fountain. It was a really pretty stone sculpture, but she had no idea what it was of. She could only figure it was some weird avatar world creature.

Katie turned to browse in some of the shops nearby when she nearly ran into Zhao who was standing right behind her.

"You're from prince Zuko's ship, are you not?" he asked giving a sweet smile.

"Yes sir." Katie heard herself saying lowering her voice slightly.

"Then perhaps you could tell me. Where is the girl? My men just searched the ship but they couldn't find her." Katie took a deep breath searching her mind frantically for an answer.

"I don't know where she is Admiral sir. There is a rumor though that she was sold early this morning before sunrise."

"My men never saw anyone leaving the ship." Zhao said coldly.

"Then I don't know what to tell you sir. We haven't seen her since yesterday. Permission to finish my allotted task sir?" Zhao gave her another piercing stare as though he was trying to see her eyes through the small slit in her helmet.

"Permission granted." He said with disgust. Katie gave him a curt bow and turned. She walked briskly until she was out of sight then leaned heavily against a pillar shaking like a leaf. She looked up at the sky and watched as black storm clouds began boiling towards her. She waited there and kept an eye on the fountain until she saw Zuko and Iroh arrive, then walked out to meet them. She gave a small bow to Zuko to keep up pretences.

"We have a task for you soldier. Come with us." Zuko said to her giving her a phantom of a wink. She followed them out of the city and into the edge of a forest. Iroh helped her out of her armor and gave her a kimono to put on as well as a small purse filled with coins. When she had changed into this they surprised her by pulling out a long black wig. She couldn't stop laughing as she put this on.

"It's best if you don't walk close to us. Zhao is still around here somewhere." Iroh told her as he helped tuck her bangs up into the wig.

"Yeah, I know." She gave them a brief summary of her run in with Zhao. Iroh and Zuko left the woods and Katie circled around a ways before she came out. All she could see of Zuko was his ponytail, which would stick up above the crowd. She watched them disappear into a clothing shop and waited for a few minutes before following them in. This shop was extremely crowded so she could browse the selection next to Zuko without anyone thinking it odd and it was too noisy to be overheard. Katie picked out several tunics and pants; to this she received several glares from Zuko.

"You do know that women wear dresses right?" He muttered as he leaned over pretending to inspect a red shirt.

"Yes, they do. But this one doesn't." She said chewing on a lock of hair from her wig. She glanced up and saw Zuko scowling at her. "Fine fine. I'll pick out one dress." She reached and grabbed the first one that was her size. Zuko gave an exasperated sigh and rifled through some clothing folded on a table. He saw a strip of cloth that was slightly wavy and picked it up inspecting it closely.

"Do you know what this is?" he asked curiously when Katie walked over. She took it from him and stared at it until realization dawned on her.

"OH THANK YOU GOD!" She cried and rushed into the back changing room. Zuko frowned and picked up another one trying to figure out what the strip of cloth was for. Katie came out a few minutes later grinning contently. She looked different, but Zuko couldn't quite place how. She stepped up to him and picked through some shirts. He gave a little cough and raised the strip of cloth.

"So what is this?" he asked quietly. Katie looked back and forth from the cloth to Zuko smiling.

"That there's a bra, prince Zuko."

"A what?" He asked a blank look on his face.

"Um," she scratched her nose blushing, "It's an article of clothing meant to give support to…the girls."

"What girls?" Katie let out a little choking laugh and nodded downwards. Zuko looked down as well. "Your feet?" he asked cocking an eyebrow. Katie felt like she was going to burst with compressed laughter. She made sure nobody was nearby that would be suspicious and put a hand around Zuko's neck, pulling him down so she could whisper in his ear.

"Zuko, the girls are a name for the two meat sacks hanging from my collarbone." Zuko pulled back and looked curiously at her chest. When realization finally made it through his thick head he blanched and dropped the bra immediately. Now he knew why she had looked different to him. Certain proportions of her body were higher and rounder. Katie couldn't hold the laughter back any longer. "Oh, I can't wait to tell your uncle about this one." She turned and began making her way back to Iroh who was inspecting a silk robe.

"Katie no!" Zuko hissed going after her.

"Iroh, you're really gonna get a kick out of this." Katie said when she got to Iroh.

"Then I can't wait to hear it." He said smiling. Katie opened her mouth to begin the story but a hand clamped tight around it.

"No, you're not going to wait because you're not going to hear it." Zuko said dangerously. Katie stuck her tongue out and licked his hand until he released his hold on her with a cry of disgust. Iroh gave a little cough to get their attention and nodded to the door. Zhao had just entered the shop and began scanning the crowd, five soldiers entered after him. Katie walked away from the other two silently and began sorting through shoes. Zhao glanced around until he saw Zuko and Iroh. He gave a little smirk and walked towards them.

"Zuko." He said nodding to the young prince.

"What is it now Zhao?"

"I would merely like to speak to you, privately." Zhao said. "If you would please come with me, we can do this the easy way or the hard way." Zuko tensed getting ready to spring at a moments notice, but his uncle placed a hand on his shoulder to stop him.

"We will go with Admiral Zhao, Zuko. There is no need to risk the safety of civilians." Iroh said shifting his eyes in Katie's direction.

"I'm sorry General, but I mean to speak with the prince alone." Zhao said. He made a hand motion and two guards stepped forward, each grabbing one of Zuko's arms. Zuko hesitated; he glanced over at Katie catching her eye. He looked back at Zhao and fixed a scowl on his face but followed without a fuss. Katie rushed to Iroh's side after they left the shop.

"What are they going to do with him Iroh?"

"I don't know. I do know we can't trust Zhao's intentions, but we can't face all of Zhao's men alone."

"Then you go get the crew and I'll keep an eye on Zuko." Katie said over her shoulder as she ran out the door.

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MEGA GASP! What is going to happen next! Review if you really want to know (evil grin).


	8. take that you animal

Okay, I've been having a really weird day. It's had both extreme bads and goods, some of the bads being that I got in a fender bender (of which my parents are to never know about), a seven-year-old told me I was hot and I already typed this, but my stupid computer didn't save any of this authors note, so I am now retyping it, but as a much more condensed version. Good things though are that I am an aunt. Again. For the ninth time. Neice number five was born this morning. Also I've adopted an adorable little kitten that I found in my garage. The only problem is that I'm to indecisive to come up with a name for her myself so I'm asking for your suggestions. She's calico with bright orangs stripes on her face, she's about two months old and she's a very sleek cat. Personality wise she's a cuddler and she's pretty timid. I haven't gotten her to chase string yet, but she doesn't seem to mind water. I gave her a bathbecause she's kinda crusty. Please give me ideas.

Now for SHOUTOUTS!

**Zukopunk:** I'm sorry about your head. Just stop falling!

**Ceriadera: **Don't worry, here's the next chapter. Please don't hurt me.

**Lovergal1227: **Yes, I am the epitomy of evil. I hope you didn't loose too much sleep.

**Newsiefreak9er9er: **I am glad that you laugh.

**Starchic: **Don't worry, Zuko will be fine.

**Khazia: **Nice underwear story. I figured a lot of people would be able to relate to this.

**MitariWaterDragon: **Yay! Cake! Don't pass out, just breath in and out, in and out.

**Athenera: **Normally I would have absolutely jumped on that suggestion, but I already had this chapter and the next one done at the time. If you want steamy-ness, wink wink, I'll try to put some in. But hey, if you want to do a spinoff of this story, feel free. Just remember where it came from.

**Plutobaby494: **Here's the update you were asking for.

**Zulaya: **Dont worry, Zhao's going to get his. Maybe not badly, but he's going to feel the burn.

**Flying Green Flamingo: **Welcome aboard. I'm glad you like my story. By the way, I read your bio and I am a major x-men fan as well. I also love teen titans. My favorite character is Jericho, but I have a feeling he's not going to be put in the cartoon. I have a suspicion he's red X but it's only a suspicion. If you haven't read the comix, Jericho (Joe Wilson) is Slade's son.

Okay, here's the next chapter. Just to let ya'll know, I really do know how to use a bow and arrow, and use them well. I'm not just pulling a Xena thing in the story. I come from a very out-doorsy family. Now, put your hands in the air!

WHOOOOooooooo!

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Katie followed Zhao and his company through the maze of people, but held back for a bit when they entered the trees. Katie really had no idea what she would do if the time came that Zuko would need her help and looked around desperately for inspiration. She saw a shop selling weapons and gratefully bought a small bow and a quiver of arrows, then entered the woods after them. Zhao went quite a ways into the woods. Every now and then he would stop to listen for footsteps behind him, but Katie had taken off Zuko's spare boots that she had been wearing under her Kimono and barely made any noise at all as she crept carefully over the boulders. Zhao finally found a place he was satisfied with and motioned for his men to stop. 

"Now prince Zuko, I want you to answer me now, and I want you to answer me truthfully. Where is the girl?"

"Why does she even matter to you Zhao?"

"Because I was made a fool of in front of my men. And not only that, I was made a fool by a female slave. She needs to be made an example of, and I will not stop until that happens." Zhao hissed in Zuko's ear. "Now, are you going to tell me where she is, or not?" Zuko merely glared. "Fine then. Lieutenant." The biggest of the two men that was holding Zuko's arm suddenly swung Zuko around (as the other man let go of his other arm) and slammed him into a tree trunk. There was a crash and a sickening pop as Zuko's shoulder dislocated. Zuko let out a short cry of surprise and pain but immediately jumped to his feet. He created a ball of flame and threw it at one of the soldiers but another came up behind him and grabbed his arms, pulling them tightly behind Zuko's back. Zuko let out a grunt of pain and tried to struggle. Zhao stepped forward and punched Zuko as hard as he could in the stomach.

"TELL ME WHERE SHE IS!" Zhao yelled and delivered another blow. Katie couldn't take it anymore. She notched an arrow into the bowstring and poked her head above the bush she was hiding behind. There wasn't much resistance as she pulled back the string and she hoped desperately that the arrow would actually make it the forty-yard distance. Her father's voice went through her mind as she took aim, reminding her to anchor her elbow at her ear, to take her time. She sighted along the shaft; Admiral Zhao was in her sight. Then she released. Zhao let out a yell when the arrow pierced his shoulder. It hadn't been where Katie had been aiming for, but it was a lucky shot that had made it between the plaits of his armor and into his flesh. Katie ducked down as the soldiers began running around in confusion. She notched another arrow and peered through the bushes. She saw another opportunity and sat up quickly, drew back the string and fired. She didn't see if the arrow struck it's target, but a satisfying yell let her know it had. Katie crawled a little ways from the bush and moved behind a tree. She aimed and fired again, but missed.

"It's coming from that direction!" one of the soldiers cried and Katie could hear a few of them running towards her. She readied another arrow and pulled back the bowstring. She listened for the footsteps, trying to judge just where they were, then whirled around the tree. She only had a second to aim this shot, but the soldier was close enough that it was all she needed. The arrow buried itself deep into his thigh causing him to collapse. His companion, who had been running on his heels, tripped over him and landed spread-eagle in the dirt. Zuko had managed to knock out the man holding his arms and ran towards Katie. He kicked the man that had tripped hard in the face as he passed, knocking him out as well.

"Come on." He said grabbing Katie's arm and pulling her after him. They ran pell-mell through the forest until Zhao's screams were far behind them. As they ran the wind began to pick up and the first few drops of rain splattered on the ground around them. Katie was grateful that the weather had kept calm for as long as it did. She was surprised she had made most of those shots at all, there was no way she would have been able to in the wind. The rain came down harder until it became a downpour. Katie's skin began to sting as the icy rain pelted her. Zuko touched her hand and pointed to a small cave type thing. She nodded and they both made for this. The cave was very shallow, only five feet deep, but it was tall enough for them to stand up in. They leaned against the walls panting for breath. Zuko let out a small hiss of pain and clutched his shoulder.

"Here, let me see it." Katie said stepping over to him. She helped him take off his armor and sat him down on the dry ground. She felt the area around his shoulder. She could feel where it had been dislocated. It wasn't too bad. She'd seen worse. "This is going to hurt."

"Just do it." Katie gently pulled his arm away from his body so that it was held straight out. Then she placed a knee under his armpit, tugged the arm as hard as she could and twisted it until she heard a faint pop of it sliding back into place. Zuko hadn't made a sound, but his face was extremely tight and sweat was pouring down his face. Katie gently massaged the shoulder.

"That was nice shooting by the way." He said giving her a weak smile.

"Thanks. How's your stomach?"

"It's been through worse." Katie smiled at him but her face turned serious as she looked outside the cave entrance.

"Do you think he'll come looking for us?" She asked fearfully.

"Not tonight. The weather's too bad and he's wounded. We should still leave here before dawn." Katie nodded and pulled her knees up under her chin.

"What's going to happen now? He's not going to let us back on the ship alive." Zuko leaned back against the cave wall and thought about it for a few minutes.

"I have a great aunt that lives just outside the city boundaries. I'm sure that she will help us send word to my uncle to meet us at a different port."

"Wouldn't Zhao know about any family you have around here?" Katie asked apprehensively.

"I don't think so, she's an aunt on my mothers side of the family. I barely know her myself." Zuko said shaking his head.

"Then how do you know she'll help us?"

"That's just the way my mother's family is." He said with a shrug. "We should try to get some sleep." Zuko said and lay down on the hard ground. Katie followed suit and curled up next to him. Her clothes were soaking from the rain and she just couldn't figure out why it was so cold when it had felt like tropical weather only an hour ago. Zuko could feel her shivering and scooted closer to her. He wrapped an arm over her shoulders and Katie sank into his warmth gratefully. His body seemed to be radiating an unnatural heat that she knew was from his firebending. Slowly the shivering disappeared and it was replaced with exhaustion. Katie nuzzled closer to Zuko, her eyelids growing heavy. He pulled back a little and stroked her cheek with one finger. Katie raised her face to look at him and saw something in his eyes that she had never seen before. He leaned down and kissed her softly. This wasn't her first kiss, it was far from it. But, in her mind, it was her first _real _kiss. She felt compassion, fear and a whole plethora of emotions behind this kiss and it almost overwhelmed her. But she didn't just feel emotions; she felt a physical heat travel from his lips through her entire body. She felt warmth spread inside as though she had just taken a sip of hot chocolate. She kissed him back, deepening it a little. She wanted this to last forever. Unfortunately she needed to breath sometime. When they drew away, Zuko rested his head on the ground next to hers and kissed her forehead gently before he drifted off into sleep. Katie wrapped an arm around his waist and buried her head into his chest. _Where did that come from? _She wondered as sleep overtook her as well.

* * *

When Katie woke up the next morning, she felt so warm and content that for a moment she thought she was home in her nice warm bed. But there was a rock digging uncomfortably into her hip, so the illusion quickly faded. She opened her eyes and looked up at Zuko's face. They had moved together in their sleep, he was now on his back and she was curled up at his side. She rested her head against his chest for a moment longer, savoring the feeling and listening to his slow steady heartbeat. But she was feeling extremely paranoid and had to see for herself that Zhao wasn't waiting just outside the cave. She carefully untangled herself from him and crept to the cave opening. Immediately she noticed the cold. Her clothes were still quite damp from the night before and they clung heavy and cold against her skin. It was still pretty dark out, but there was a faint blue tinge to the east. Katie calculated that it must be around six. She turned and watched Zuko's sleeping form for a while. As though he sensed her eyes on him he began to stir. When he realized Katie was no longer in his arms he sat up straight, instantly alert. But he relaxed when he saw her sitting a few feet away. 

"Good morning." She whispered.

"And you as well." He said just as quietly.

"How's the arm?" She crawled back over until she was sitting right in front of him and began massaging the shoulder.

"It's stiff, but I think I'll live." He grinned and watched her face as she rubbed his arm. She gave him a little smile and looked up into his face, suddenly she felt extremely shy. He placed his forehead against hers and closed her eyes. "I never thanked you for rescuing me yesterday."

"Yeah, well. You would have done the same." She brought her arms up and wrapped them around his neck. He leaned down and kissed her. She felt the same strange sensation that she had experienced the night before. But much to her displeasure this kiss didn't last as long. Zuko pulled away and stood up trying to move his injured arm as little as possible.

"We should head out now. If I remember right and if we are where I think we are, we should get to my great aunt's by noon." Katie stood up and followed him out of the cave, grabbing her bow and quiver on the way.

After several hours of walking, Katie was beginning to regret having taken off Zuko's boots. Her feet had built up quite some resistance against rocks due to the fact that she had hardly worn shoes the entire summer. But feet can only take so much. She tried to walk through patches of plants as much as she could, but some of these were worse than the rocks.

"Are we there yet?" Katie asked putting on a whiny seven-year-old voice. Zuko stopped and looked around.

"I haven't been here since I was five, but I remember this stream. If we keep following it, it should take us right to her manor."

"Manor? Is your great-aunt loaded or something?"

"Loaded?"

"Rich."

"Oh, yes she is. Her husband was the duke of this area. He owned all the surrounding ground and ran nearly a dozen plantations at one time. They were rice mostly, but they own one of the larges vineyards in the world." Zuko said glancing around once more to get his bearings. There was a giant weeping willow hanging over the stream. Zuko saw this and smiled. "I would play with my cousins under that tree for hours. I spent the summer here once when I was little." He explained. They walked to the tree and Zuko ran a hand fondly over the trunk.

"So are we close then?" Katie asked balancing on one foot to pick a rock out of her toe.

"Yes, it's just around this bend." They began walking once more, but hadn't gone more than a few steps when they heard a rustling in the reeds to their left. They both took a defensive stance to see a small pale face stare at them curiously. Then the face emitted an ear-piercing shriek and scurried away.

"What the hell was that!" Katie said trying to regain control of her heartbeat.

"I think it was a relative." They began walking and within seconds a huge house loomed through a group of large, well-kempt trees. When they came closer a group of people came out of the beautiful house to greet them.

"Welcome nephew!" An old frail woman was the first to reach them and she immediately wrapped Zuko into a warm hug. He hesitated for a second, but wrapped his good arm around her awkwardly.

"Thank you aunt Shinja." He said. The old woman pulled away from him and gazed at his face. She touched his scar sadly but turned her attention to Katie almost immediately.

"And who are you dove?" she asked.

"My name is Katie Lin. I'm…a friend." Shinja gave her a scrutinizing look.

"You have the look of Earthnation. But I suppose that if my nephew trusts you enough to travel with you, I will as well." She pulled Katie into an equally affectionate hug despite her remark.

"Aunt Shinja, we need your help-" Zuko began, but the old woman held a finger to his lips.

"Ah ah. You can tell me about your predicament later, for now you two are worn and weary. Meeka! Ellisme! Please draw miss Lin a bath and get fresh clothes for her." Two girls had stepped forward and they did a little curtsy. They both turned abruptly and walked towards the house. Katie glanced at Zuko who gave her an encouraging smile and squeezed her hand gently. Katie followed the girls with one thought in mind. _A bath! YAY!_

_

* * *

_

Giggle I kissed Zuko. At least I wish I did. Anyhoo, don't forget I need a good name for my cat.


	9. gigglesniggersnort

HEATH LEDGER IS SO FREAKING HOT! In fact he's not even hot, he's hotttt! For all you people going "Huh?" I just got back from watching Brothers Grimm. It's an awesome movie. If you want a peek into my mind, watch that movie, it's pretty much what it's like in here. The only downside is that I went to the movie with my sister. I know this sounds weird, but I really can't stand my sister. She's so annoying. And people always say that about thier younger sisters, but the thing is that she's 8 years _older _than me. You'd think she'd grow up. Well, going over the names people have given me, I'd say my favorite so far is Professor Fluffypants. Thanks Lovergal1227. Kay-Shoutouts.

**Plutobaby: **yes, I'm very proud to say that I'm bringing out Zuko's sensative side.

**Lovergal1227: **Thanx again for the great name and tell your little brother that the kiss was an "I'm just making sure I actually like you more than I'm willing to say" kinda kiss.

**Flying Green Flamingo: **Slade was married to a detective lady and they actually had two sons. But by the time the second was born, Slade was working for the military and they spliced his genes making him a super warrior person. So when his youngest son (Joe) was like three, he was kidnapped by Slade's enemies and slit Joe's throat. Fortunately they missed his jugular, but his vocal chords were cut. After that his wife divorced him and he turned bad. He was never actually evil in the comic book, just kinda neutral. And the whole _Robin angstyness _wasn't in the comic. ANyhoo, you can find a more in depth bio anywhere on the web. Wow, this was a really long explaination. I'm shutting up now.

**Khazia: **Congrats on your puppies. You need to tell me what you're naming them in a review, or I'll just read it in your story later. I think you should totally have Zuko meet your family. That would be awesome.

**Ceriadara: **No thanx, I don't really like chocolate cookies.

**Newsiefreak9er9er: **Yes, Zuko is going to have a lot of extended family in this story.

**Athenera: **I don't think I'll be doing any spinoffs. I can barely get myself to update my other story which has been on the rocks all week. But if you or anybody else wants to. Go ahead and rewrite this story with any ideas. And I'll try to write some more steamy stuff just because it's fun.

**Zulaya: **Glad you liked the kiss and the names. I got the name Shinja from my cousin who's from one of the Korea's and the name Ellisme from my brother's computer game manual thingy.

Okey-doke. Here's number nine. On y va!

* * *

After Katie had soaked in the bathtub for two hours, Meeka and Ellisme gave her a soft red dress to wear and bombarded her with questions. Most were about where she came from and things like that, but they never left her enough of a chance to give them an answer before rolling right into the next question. Both of these girls (along with all the other people Katie had seen so far) were extremely pale with long, elegant faces and dark hair. They reminded Katie of vampires. Eerily beautiful but deadly, just like Zuko. She didn't quite know if she could trust them yet. The girls gave Katie a soft felt-like fabric, which she wrapped around her aching feet and then put on a pair of satin slippers.

"So, where's Zuko?" Katie asked when the two girls pressed in on her asking more questions, their large, slanted amber eyes boring into her for answers.

"Are you going to marry him?" Meeka asked.

"Uh, probably not. Do you know where he is?"

"But you still think he's handsome, don't you? I think he's very handsome." Ellisme said wistfully.

"Yes, he's very handsome." Katie said grinning, "Can you take me to him?"

"Follow us." They skittered out of the room with Katie jogging to keep up.

"This is the guest room he will be staying in." Ellisme said stopping at a large door, "But he's not in there." She said as Katie raised her fist to knock. She grabbed Katie's hand and began pulling her towards some stairs.

"Where are we going?"

"To the drawing room. That's where he would be right now." Meeka turned a corner when a large hand reached out and grabbed her shoulder.

"And where do you girls think you're going?" said a deep voice only inches from Katie's ear. She whirled around to see another one of Zuko's relatives. He was as tall and as unearthly beautiful as the rest of them. He gave Katie a charming smile. "You're Katie right?" Katie nodded, "My name is Marius." He held his hand out for hers. Katie knew the whole custom of guys kissing a girls hand and it made her squirm slightly, so she shook it heartily instead and drew back quickly.

"Nice to meetcha."

"We're looking for Zuko, Marius. Miss Katie thinks he's very handsome." Ellisme said tugging on his sleeve. Marius gave Katie an amused smirk as she began blushing.

"I'm afraid my grandmother is still speaking with him. But I would be honored if you would allow me to show you our vineyard." He said offering an arm. Katie looked over at the two girls who had burst into a fit of giggles and reluctantly took his arm.

After two hours of having to mingle with Marius, Katie really began to hate him. Not because there was anything particularly wrong with him, but because he was perfect. Besides being drop dead gorgeous, he was smart, witty, a complete gentleman. What was worse was that his perfection didn't make her uncomfortable. He made her feel as though they had known each other their entire lives and despite how much she tried not to, she could talk with him about anything. _I can't believe this. I was just kissing Zuko this morning and now I'm falling for this guy? Am I really this shallow? _

"Do you think I could talk to Zuko now?" Katie asked watching the sun begin to set. Marius' face fell slightly.

"Yes, I think my grandmother might be done with him by now." He led her back to the house and took her up to Zuko's room. She knocked gently and walked in. Zuko was standing at the window completely shirtless. He turned when she entered and smiled. All thoughts of Marius immediately left Katie's mind when she gazed upon the god before her. Zuko stepped forward and wrapped his arms tightly around Katie and kissed her. Katie braced herself for the plethora of emotions, but she didn't feel anything this time. She did, however, taste something, and that something was very bitter. Zuko pulled away and gave her a smile, his eyes were red and out of focus.

"Zuko. You're drunk!"

"I am not!" he said indignantly, and then he raised his eyes as though thinking about it and giggled. "Okay, maybe a little." He kissed her again. His arms which, had been around her waist slithered downward and he grabbed her butt. "You have the roundest ass in the world." He growled into her ear. Katie pulled away, completely shocked at what the way the prince was acting. He pulled his head back as well and pulled one hand up to squish her cheeks together until she was making a fishy face. He became completely serious. "And that's a good thing." He said as though explaining this to a five year old. He giggled again and leaned in planting butterfly kisses all over her face, muttering; "a very very very very very very good thing."

"Zuko. You're being very obnoxious. You should probably lie down and sleep this off." Katie said trying to pull away. Zuko just pulled her closer.

"Only if you lie down and sleep this off with me." He said grinning and wriggling his hips playfully.

"I don't think so." Katie said angrily, she grabbed his hands and pulled away. She led him to his bed and shoved him rudely down on it. "I'll come back when you're human again." Zuko sat up quick as lightning and grabbed Katie's arm. He pulled her onto the bed and curled up next to her, burrowing his face into her neck.

"I promise to be good. Just stay here until I fall asleep. Please?" Katie struggled for a second, but even plastered, Zuko was too strong. So she sighed and relaxed. She reached down and held Zuko's hand, resting her cheek against his head. Zuko _was_ good, for all of four seconds. He began nuzzling her neck, then began the butterfly kisses up her neck until he got to her face. Even though she knew she should be mad at Zuko, these kisses were intoxicatingly erotic and she couldn't help but begin kissing him back. She finally floated back to the surface of her mind when Zuko began shifting his weight so that he was now half on top of her and one of his hands had started sneaking north.

"Zuko, wait. Stop. STOP!" She got her hands beneath his chest and shoved him away. He sat up and gazed at her, his eyes unfocused.

"Wait, don't go. I promise to be good." Zuko said reaching out for her hand. Katie pulled away and stormed from the room, slamming the door behind her. Zuko stood up and made to follow her but passed out after the third step. Marius was waiting out in the hallway when Katie trudged past.

"I was going to warn you. It's the reason I didn't let you go into the drawing room earlier. It's my grandmother's custom to break out the finest wine when there's a big event." He said apologetically but he couldn't hide a tone of triumph. Katie glared at him and stomped to her room, locking the door behind her.

* * *

Zuko had never felt worse then that next morning when he woke up. Not because of his splitting headache, but because he remembered every stupid thing he had done the night before. He could hear voices outside his window and recognized one of them as Katie's. He pulled himself up from the wood floor and stumbled to the window. Katie was out on the grass with four children. All of them were between the ages of two and seven. They were running around and playing a game, laughing and having a good time. Then Zuko saw something that made his insides freeze. His cousin Marius was with Katie, and he would occasionally touch her arm or hand and lean in close to whisper something to her which would cause Katie to smile or laugh. He watched for nearly a half an hour as Katie played with the children. She would hold their hands and spin them around until they lifted off the ground, she would run with them and tickle them when she caught them. She looked extremely happy. _Maybe I _should_ just let her stay here. She seems happy here. _Zuko thought sadly as he watched. There was a knock on the door behind him.

"Come in." Zuko said without turning around. By the giggles he heard he deduced that it must be Meeka and Ellisme. They were bearing a large tea tray between them that was laden with food and, best of all, coffee strong enough to disintegrate a nail on contact. The girls giggled even more when they saw Zuko's bare chest. Zuko really wished they would stop. His head was pounding bad enough as it was.

"We didn't see you at breakfast. So we wanted to bring it to you." Meeka said happily putting the tray on a writing desk. Zuko sat heavily on a chair and drained the cup of coffee.

"Did you and miss Lin fight last night?" Meeka asked.

"Are the two of you going to get married?" Ellisme asked.

"How come your belly button pokes out?" Meeka asked.

"Do you like jam on your bread?" Ellisme asked.

"If miss Lin and Marius get married, are you going to get mad?" Meeka asked.

"How come your boots are all pointy at the toe?" Ellisme asked.

"Aren't you supposed to have armor on?" Meeka asked.

Zuko just watched them in amazement as they continued on with their conversation with him. When they finally stopped to catch their breath he brought up their first question.

"Do you know if Katie is mad at me?" He asked.

"Oh yes. When we came up to help her get dressed this morning, she had her mattress leaning against the wall and she was punching it like crazy." Ellisme said. She walked behind Zuko and began playing with his ponytail, twisting it into a braid.

"Aw shit." He murmured and buried his face in his hands. He had completely blown it last night. Why did he have toaccept every drop of wine that Shinja had offered? The two girls gasped then burst into another fit of giggles.

"We should tell gramma about what you just said." Meeka giggled. Both the girls ran out of the room squeeling and they slammed the door behind them. The racket nearly split Zuko's head in two. The memory came to him of his last hangover and how Katie had massaged his head. He really wished that last night had never happened. He looked into the mirror at the desk and stared into his scarred face. _Who am I kidding? Why would she even begin to care about me? I'm not even a whole man. _He sighed and began unbraiding his hair.

* * *

Aww, poor Zuko. I decided to make him an outy because I think outy bellybuttons are hot. or hottttt. Please review all ya'll.


	10. Oh my, devilish laugh

Aww, my kitty is so cute. I almost thought it would fit to name her Momo because she has these big green eyes and her favorite thing to do is perch on my shoulders. But I think I'll call her Peef (which is just my own shorter version of professor Fluffypants). Anyways, this chapter has an interesting plot twist. Hope you likey.

Shoutouts:

**Plutobaby494: **Okay, I will update soon. OH LOOK HERE IT IS! Man I'm fast.

**ZukoPunk: **Sorry I accidentally completely and utterly forgot to shout you out last chapter and I had a really good comment too dangit. Now for this comment: Ew, why are there split guts all over my monitor?

**FlyingGreenFlamingo: **Yeah, the Robin angst kinda gets annoying to me. I really like his character and think he's hot as Nightwing, but I just don't understand how he always seems to be the most powerful team member. The most powerful _should _be Raven or Starfire, not circus boy over there.

**Zukoscute2: **I totally agree with your pen name. I hope you meant a _good _interesting and I hope you don't hate the story because I made Zuko such a perv when he was drunk. DON'T BE HATIN'! By the way, welcome aboard.

**Khazia: **It's always fun writing Zuko drunk because you don't have to worry about him being OOC. By the way, even though I already wrote it in a review to you today, I'm lovin' your story! And I suddenly got an inspirational idea for you if you're open for it. you should take Zuko to the Brothers Grimm in your story and drool over Heath Ledger! Just a suggestion.

**Lovergal1227: **of this we shall see.

**Zulaya: **Yes, there is a lesson to be learned here.

* * *

"I've been meaning to tell you this: you look familiar." Marius said as he sat with Katie beneath an apple tree. She had managed to get a strip of parchment and an ink brush and had sat here to sketch when he decided to join her. 

"Hm, well people always tell me I look like Tinkerbell from Speilberg's _Hook. _Which is proof that I'm destined to marry Dante Basco. But I have a feeling you've never seen it."

"You are betrothed to someone based on your looks?" Marius asked, slightly crestfallen.

"If I say yes then will you stop following me?"

"No." He said grinning.

"No, I'm not betrothed." Katie said with a sigh, picking up her brush again. She had been trying to be really cold towards Marius all day in hopes he would leave her alone. He was becoming less attractive by the moment and she was getting a creepy feeling whenever he was around. She had started out the morning furious at the guy. She knew he had intentionally sent her into Zuko's room while he was drunk so that she would get upset. Katie had been trying to find Zuko to talk about what happened, but he had remained shut away all day and Marius just kept persisting on being her escort everywhere she went. Katie glanced up at the rhino she was sketching. Shinja had a paddock in which she kept seven of the beasts. Katie was really starting to like them. They weren't as pretty as her horses, but they had about the same temperament

"Marius, Miss Lin, dinner is ready." The voice of Marius' mother called from the house. Katie stood up grateful for the opportunity to surround herself with people other than Marius. She was happy to see Zuko enter the dining room after she sat down, but he didn't look at her and sat as far away as possible. He didn't look too great; he must have still been feeling the after affects of his hangover. She could feel his eyes on her every time Marius would start speaking to her, but would look away when she turned to him. After dinner, everyone gathered into the sitting room. Katie sat on the floor and played a hand-clapping game with a five-year-old girl and Marius eagerly took the space on the chair behind her.

"Miss Katie says he's very handsome." He heard Meeka whispering to a younger girl only a few feet away. Zuko threw some glares at the two throughout the evening and couldn't take it anymore when Marius placed a hand on Katie's shoulder. Zuko stood up as unobtrusively as he could and slipped out the back door. Katie shrugged away Maruis' hand and followed. She found Zuko leaning against the rhino paddock, his body bathed in moonlight.

"Aren't you even going to talk to me?" Katie demanded placing her hands on her hips. Zuko turned and glared at her.

"What's there to talk about?"

"Well, for starters you could apologize for being such a pig last night."

"Alright, I'm sorry. Is there anything else?"

"Just tell me what's bothering you."

"Nothing's bothering me. In fact, things have become very clear. I have come to the decision that you would be better off staying here with my family…and Marius." Zuko muttered the last part, but Katie heard him all the same and grinned.

"You're jealous aren't you? Ha! You do like me." Zuko turned and looked at her as though she had lost her mind.

"You mean you didn't know? I don't think I could have made it any more obvious." he said, completely exasperated.

"Well, I know you like my butt." Katie said grinning even more. "But come on, I've only known you for a week and you haven't exactly _said_ anything up front."

"SAID ANYTHING UP FRONT! How could you not…just forget it. I know you'll be happy here with Marius."

"How can you say that?"

"Please. I know you think he's 'very handsome'." Zuko said turning back to the rhinos.

"Well duh. I'm a teenage girl. Every other guy I see I think is handsome. But what makes you think I would be happy here with Marius? The guy's a creep, and he only likes me because I'm the only girl his age for miles. Put me in a lineup and he wouldn't give me a second glance." Katie walked over and sat on the fence beside Zuko, but he still wouldn't look at her. He occupied himself by picking at a few splinters. "Zuko, please. Just talk to me. You've been avoiding me all day and it's driving me insane. Do you want me to say it again? I have absolutely no feelings for Marius." Still Zuko wouldn't look at her. She placed her hand beneath his chin and lifted his face. "Zuko, I want to be with _you_." Zuko pulled away.

"No. You deserve better. I don't have anything to offer. I have no honor; I have no country, I'm barely even a man. There's nothing I can give you." Katie hopped down from the fence and stepped in front of him, wrapping her arms around his waist.

"I don't care, you're the only thing in this world that has made sense so far. Like it or not, your stuck with me." She stood on tiptoe and kissed him.

"What about last night? Don't you think I'm disgusting?"

"Yes. But last night you were drunk Zuko. You weren't thinking clearly and if it ever happens again I will scalp you. I trust you pal." She kissed him again and this time he joined in. They stood there for nearly ten minutes in each other's arms, just holding and being held when the first few drops of another rainstorm came down upon them.

"We should head inside." Zuko said looking up at the sky.

"No, let's go for a walk."

"It's raining."

"I know." She grinned mischievously. She began jogging as the rain began to come down harder, giggling as a rush of excitement filled her. She turned and waited for him to catch up. When he did he swept her up off the ground in a hug and spun around as rain pelted their skin.

* * *

Katie woke up, for the fourth time since arriving in this strange world, wrapped up next to Zuko. He was awake and was gently stroking her arm with his fingertips. They had played in the rain for almost an hour before coming in. Neither could muster the energy to make it up to their rooms, so they had just collapsed on the couch in the drawing room. Katie was squished between Zuko and the back of the couch, but it was a good kind of squished. 

"Good morning." She mumbled snuggling closer.

"And you as well." He whispered, kissing her hair.

"What time is it?"

"Almost sunrise."

"Mm. We should probably get up."

"Probably." Neither of them moved. They were both still sopping wet and the couch beneath them was probably ruined. They knew that one of the adults would have a heart attack when they saw them, immediately thinking the worst. But they really didn't care. And so they lay there in silence until the first person came downstairs and spotted them. Unfortunately it was Ellisme. She let out an excited squeak and ran back upstairs in a fit of giggles.

"We should probably get up." Katie said again.

"Probably." They laid there for a few more minutes, but the sound of giggles from the stairs forced them to finally get up. They went up to their separate rooms to change into dry clothes. By the time they came downstairs, everyone was awake and breakfast was cooking. Several adults threw looks of disapproval at the two teens; obviously news had spread about their sleeping conditions last night. Marius was looking sulky and wouldn't look at Katie. She figured this was a big improvement.

"Nephew, your uncle has volunteered to take you into town and help deliveryour message to Iroh." Shinja said after breakfast was over and a servant began clearing the table. Zuko nodded and Katie groaned inside. Just when they had started getting close, he had to leave. And what was she going to do in her spare time. She couldn't stand another day with Marius panting after her. "Do you like books my dear?" Shinja asked Katie. Katie was a little startled; it was the first time the old woman had spoken to her since she had arrived.

"Yes, I love books."

"I have to show you my library then." Shinja said with a smile. _Well, that solves one problem. _

After Zuko left on rhino with his uncle, Shinja kept her word and took Katie to her library. It was basically another sitting room with a fireplace and one wall lined with books and scrolls. Katie grinned at the couch in the middle of the room imagining cuddling with Zuko in front of a warm fire with a book. Katie walked along bookshelf and studied the spines of the books, she found one bound in blue-dyed leather and pulled it down. She opened to the first page, but instead of seeing words she saw a bunch of Chinese characters. She could feel Shinja's eyes on her back, so she took the book and plopped on the couch pretending to read it. This book was filled with beautiful pictures, so it was still quite interesting to look at. By the time she had looked at every picture in the book, Shinja had left the library. Katie put the book back in its place and walked around the room. The walls were lined with portraits of family. She actually found one with Zuko in it, although she almost skimmed right over it. He was standing with Marius and another little boy, they were next to a rhino. All of them looked solemn in a completely adorable way. They must have only been five. Katie wandered to the next picture and froze. Staring back at her was a pair of dark eyes on a heart-shaped face. They were _her _dark eyes and face. Katie could only gape at the portrait of herself. When she got over her initial shock, she could see it wasn't her. The skin was much paler and the lips were thinner and glossy long black hair framed the face and fell to her elbows. This woman was wearing a beautiful red silk dress that hugged a perfect body. This, Katie thought ruefully, definitely wasn't her.

"I was wondering when you were going to find that." Shinja was right at Katie's elbow. She turned quickly to face the old woman. "Sorry to frighten you dove, but I was getting impatient. I thought I was going to have to take you by the arm and bring you to it." Katie looked back at the painting.

"Who is she?"

"Her name was Zerita. She was my neice, but she died fifteen years ago during childbirth." The old woman said smiling fondly at the painting.

"I'm very sorry. Did her baby make it?"

"Yes, it was a very healthy little girl. We were all shocked that the labor was so difficult for Zerita. Her first birthing had gone perfectly without any complications. It might have just been that she had had her second child so closely after."

"Where is her family now?" Katie asked gazing back at the face. One corner of the mouth was curled up slightly and again she was taken aback at how much she looked like this woman. _Good Gandhi, we even have the same dimple._

"Hmm, let's see. Her daughter is at the Firenation capital with her father. And her son…let's see." She gazed at the ceiling, deep in thought; "He's riding into town with his uncle on one of my rhino's."

* * *

Told ya there would be an interesting twist. There's a somewhat interesting story behind the name _Zerita _For those of you who careIt was my great gramma Katie's middle name. I just thought it would be cool to put it in there since I do actually look like her and the name starts with Z. It all fits nicely into place. 


	11. I giggle at my evilness

This might possibly be my shortest chapter yet. Wow, over a thousand hits! I feel so proud of myself. And yet I feel so sad. My boss mysteriously disappeared for all of the last week so I haven't been working because he hasn't given me keys to the shop yet. But now he's back and he's giving me a spare set tomorrow meaning I have less time to write and check my review board obsessively. I guess I'll just have to keep trudging forward.

**Plutobaby494: **you will find out soon enough.

**I'm stupid get over it: **I lurv your name! It explains me to a T. Anyways, yes. Yes I am Zuko's sister (Sarcasm traslation: No! of course I'm not! That would be gross, I'm a country gal, but I ain't a Hillbilly.) Just kidding. Thanx for your review. I hope you enjoy the rest of my story.

**Lovergal1227: **I'm sorry about the whole little brother mix up. I read through your reviews again and it said clearly "my friends little brother". I'm just a doof that didn't pay close enough attention.

**Newsiefreak9er9er: **Oh, you'll get my reaction sure enough. But it's really Zuko's you should be excited for.

**MitariWaterDragon: **You know, I'm going to get fat from all the cybergoodies people keep lobbing at me through these reviews. Do you want Zuko to think I'm a lard? Just kidding. Thanx a million for your reviews, they make me feel shpeshul.

**Zulaya: **I'm still trying to figure out the direction I'm heading with the resemblence. I have a little fuzzy idea, but it's slightly out of focus, so just keep reading and I'll figure it out eventually.

**Athenera: **Don't worry. There will be plenty more Zuko.

**Marie the fallin: **That's a very interesting name. I'm glad you like my story so far and I must command that you do NOT eat sugar. It does straaaaaange things to reviewers and it rots your teeth.

**O-dragon: **I'm glad that you think everything is cool. Welcome aboard.

**ZukoPunk: **I'm confused, just what exactly are you jealous of?

* * *

Katie spent the rest of the day in the forest mulling over the portrait of Zuko's mother. How could she look so much like her and how could Zuko not have noticed? Then again, Shinja had said that Zerita had died fifteen years ago. Zuko had only been one or two. Katie thought about how hard it must have been growing up without a mother. She and her mom were best friends. After thinking about this a pang of homesickness hit her. Now thoroughly depressed she trudged on, deeper into the forest. The sun was getting low and Katie decided it was best that she turned back when she heard a cry of alarm in the distance. Thinking something bad had happened to one of Zuko's small cousins she began running towards the voice. She heard something more as she drew closer, it was someone shouting and they sounded angry. Katie crept through some low ferns and came upon a clearing. There in the center were three people and a very large animal.

"We can't go back into that town. The place was crawling with soldiers. Zuko or Zhao may be there as we speak." Katie felt her insides freeze at the sound of Sokka's voice.

"Sokka, we need to exchange this for cash or we won't make it to our next point." Katara said waving a locket in front of his face. Katie scanned her eyes over to Aang who was leaning against Appa, idly airbending. Two very large ears poked out from the back of his shirt, followed by a round face with giant green eyes. A tiny nose sniffed the air curiously and those eyes locked on to Katie. With a small hop the lemur took to flight right at her. Aang watched his pet go and began following it curiously. The lemur glided up to Katie and perched on her shoulders.

"No Momo, go back!" She hissed trying to unwrap his tail from her neck. Momo ignored her and buried his curious nose into her ear, sniffing loudly. Katie stifled giggles and got her fingers around the lemur's fat tummy, pulling him off her head.

"Who are you?"asked an innocent voice right in front of her. Katie looked up into the large gray-brown eyes of the avatar.

"Sssh. I'm not here." Katie whispered handing the lemur over to Aang and looking over his shoulder at the siblings who were still arguing.

"Um, yes you are."

"No, you never saw me. Got it?"

"Aang? What are you doing?" Katara asked and began walking towards them.

"Aw shammit!"

"I'm talking to a girl that's not here." Aang said with a shrug.

"That doesn't make sense." Sokka said walking forward as well.

"Oh! Hello, my name is Katara. What's yours?" Katara said once she got a clear view of Katie. Katie sighed and stepped into the opening.

"I'm Katie." She said giving a little wave.

"That's a weird name." Sokka said, glaring at her suspiciously. She didn't look like Firenation, but her clothing suggested otherwise.

"Ignore him. That's my brother, Sokka and our friend, Aang." Katie nodded and waved to each of them.

"Where did you come from?" Sokka demanded.

"Um, I'm staying with…my boyfriend's relatives over that way. Can I help you guys…or anything?" Aang smiled, an idea forming in his head. He grabbed the locket, which Katara still had in her hand and turned to Katie.

"No, but we can help you. A lovely young lady such as yourself must be interested in fine jewelry." He brandished the locket in front of her, Katie smiled at him calling her young even though she was five years older than him.. "And I must say it will compliment you much more than the stone your wearing. Isn't it your lucky day, because we are practically giving this beautiful locket awayat the small price of two silver pieces." Aang gave her his biggest, cutest smile. She had to admit he was a good salesman. She brought her hand up and touched the necklace she was wearing. It was a piece of pewter or something made to look like a gray slate of stone with a black X carved in it. It wasn't anything special, just something she had found at a yardsale and liked.But she hadn't taken it off in months and she considered it a good luck charm. She didn't think she could replace it with a locket.

"Hmmm, I don't really need or want a locket just now, but I will give you a gold piece to let me touch Momo and Appa." She said reaching into her deep pockets. She had been carrying the purse of money that Iroh had given her wherever she went. She didn't know why, maybe she wanted to keep it safe so that she could return his money back to him.

"How do you know their names?" Sokka said suspiciously. Katie froze.

"Um, I heard you guys talking about them a while ago." Katie said handing over the gold coin.

"I don't think we have talked about them since we landed." Sokka said glaring.

"Just don't worry about it okay? And don't let Zuko know that I've helped you." Katie scratched Momo's ears and disappeared into the trees leaving behind a very confused group of teens.

* * *

Zuko still hadn't gotten back after dinner was eaten and cleared. Nor did he get back when people began leaving the sitting room to retire to their beds. Katie wanted to wait up for him but Shinja was thinking the same thing. Katie really didn't want to be stuck in the same room as the old woman for however long, so she said she was going to wait in the library and finish reading that book. This turned out to be an even worse idea. Her eyes kept drifting over to the painting of Zerita. Katie took down the blue book and stared at the Chinese characters until they began twisting around in her mind, making shapes and telling stories. Her eyelids began to grow heavy and she rested her head against the arm of the couch. Despite her struggles against it, sleep overtook her.

* * *

Katie drifted back to the surface of consciousness when a large warm hand began stroking her cheek. She sighed and stretched before opening her eyes, she already knew who it was.

"Good morning." Zuko whispered.

"And you as well." Katie said grinning. Zuko had lit a small fire in the fireplace. Again her thoughts drifted back to a vision of the two of them cuddling with a book. "Is it really morning already?"

"No, it's almost midnight though." Katie sat up so that Zuko could sit down. He sighed and stretched his back, wincing slightly.

"So did you get to speak to Iroh?" Katie asked resting her head on his shoulder. He wrapped an arm around her and pulled her closer.

"No, we tried to but the ship was too heavily guarded. We finally found a falconer that sent a message for us. He sent us a reply that he'll meet us at the next port. It's a two day journey so we should leave tomorrow. Agni I'm sore!"

"I'm sorry."

"About what?"

"About you being sore."

"You didn't make me sore."

"I know, it's just…never mind." She wrapped her arms around his waist. "Zuko?"

"Hm?"

"Do you remember your mother?" She could feel his body tense.

"Why do you ask?" He asked after a short pause.

"Just something your aunt said. You don't have to answer if you don't want to, I'll understand." Zuko sighed and rested his chin on top of her head, thinking intently for a little while.

"I remember that her hands were very soft, and they smelled like violets. Sometimes I can hear her voice singing to me. But I can't really remember what she sounded like, if that makes sense." Zuko gently stroked the arm around his waist.

"Do you remember what she looked like?"

"No. After she died, my father went into a rage and destroyed all her portraits. My uncle said she was very beautiful though." Katie sat for a second, chewing on her bottom lip. She wanted him to know what his mother looked like, but would her resemblance cause a rift in their relationship? In the end, she knew she was being selfish and stood up, taking his hands she led him to the portrait.

"Zuko, this is your mother." He looked at Katie curiously and then looked up at the painting.

* * *

Oh, I am so evil. This seemed to be as good a place as any to stop and I really want to see what kind of reaction I get from the readers. Bwahahahaaa!


	12. TAKE IT!

No offense to people who love Mac computers but I think they are the devil. I have a windows computer at home, but my school computer is a Mac and it's driving me nuts because it isn't compatible with most of the software my teacher uses. Grrr. I got my set of shop keys from my boss today and I asked him what he wanted me to do. Normally I work with this guy named Bryce and he gives me orders, but Bryce moved to St. George so now I'm alone. My boss tells me that there are some things to be sanded and to do that and he would meet me there in an hour. Turns out there are no boards to sand and I can't find any speakers to hook up or anything else that could occupy my time and earn me some money in that hour. I come up with nothin, so I sit in my car and write this chapter. Two hours pass and my boss never shows up, so I just left. It was a waste of gas.Speaking of gas, it's killing me. Everyday I drive about 60 miles going to my college class which takes place twenty miles away, then I have to go to high school, then I have to go to work. It's just all soaking away my meager funds. GAAAH! Anyways, that's enough venting about my pitiful life.

**Plutobaby494: **I don't know if it's the last time we see the trio yet. I'm just making this up as I go.

**ODragon: **I'm really sorry you had to go to prison...er...skool. And Katie and Zuko are not related in any way. You can trust me on this even though to tell you the truth I don't know the names or faces of 1/10 of my cousins. You never know.

**Zukoscute2: **Well, sorry but contact with me usually does lead to insanity. I probably should have warned ya sooner. I can't wait to see your story, I'm keeping my eyes open.

**Newsiefreak9er9er: **yes, I am evil. Hey! You're a poet and you didn't even know it! And I'm totally lame, but who can ya blame?

**Khazia: **I personally have never seen Fantastic 4 which everyone thinks is weird because I'm a comic book freak (what can I say, they're mini soap operas with buffguys running around in tights), and I never would have thought of the human torch thing. That's great! I should probably be cleaning too. My family is camping until wednesday and the house is kind of a mess.

**Lovergal1227: **You should write 'em up for harrassment and get a gazillion dollars out of your sister and friend.

**ZukoPunk: **Wow, I'm really sorry to hear that. If you ever need anybody to unload on, my email addy is in my profile page.

Then there's someone else who reviewed, I can see it on my stats page but my stupid computer won't let me see the actual review until tomorrow. So whoever you are, I'm thinkin' of ya.

Kay, this chapter is much longer than the last, so I hope you enjoy it!

* * *

Zuko felt the air catch in his chest. He couldn't breathe, but it didn't matter. It was as though something that had been out of focus for so long was now shoved right under his nose. He reached out with a shaking finger and gently traced the lines of her face. A face he couldn't remember, but knew so well. He turned to Katie who was watching him carefully, chewing on her bottom lip. Zuko opened his mouth but couldn't speak. He turned back to the portrait of his mother. He ran a hand over his face quickly and then placed it back on his mother's portrait, he felt emotions mounting up inside him and it was scaring him. He really wished Katie would leave so she wouldn't see him like this. As though she heard his thoughts, Katie gently squeezed his shoulders and disappeared from the room.

* * *

Katie had changed into a white night gown and sank into her soft bed with a sigh, she fell asleep almost instantly. She woke up three hours later when the door to her bedroom opened with a creak. Light from the hallway spilled over her and she could see the outline of Zuko's form enter the room and close the door behind him. He lit a small flame in the palm of his hand and walked over to the side of Katie's bed. He stood there staring at her for several seconds. Katie didn't know if it was just a trick of the dancing flames, but his eyes looked very red and swollen. He extinguished the flame and pulled back the covers of her bed. Without a word he crawled in beside her and rested his face on her chest, listening to the rhythm of her heartbeat. Katie wrapped one arm around his shoulders and stroked his cheek with her other. She had never touched his scar before. The skin was hard and shriveled but she didn't shrink away, she just continued to stroke his face. After a while longer of silence she thought he had fallen asleep. 

"I can remember her now. I remember everything about her. She always seemed so tired, but she always wanted to play with me anyways. She was a very frail person. I also remember my father being sad over her. I can't remember any other time my father was like that. He used to smile, but since she died, I've never seen his mouth so much as twitch. I think her death really changed him." There was silence for another long while. Katie didn't really know what to say to him, so she just held him and waited to see if he said anymore. "I think my father blamed us, Zula and I, for our mother's death. He's always been so distant with us. The first time I remember having a conversation with him was when I was five." He lifted his head so that he could see Katie's face. There wasn't much moonlight tonight, but he could see the reflection of it in her dark eyes. In this light her face was pale and he could see her resemblance to his mother even more. "What does it mean?"

"What does what mean?"

"How is it that you look so much like her? You're not actually my older sister or something are you?"

"No, my mother's name is Debbie and I look just like her." Katie said laughing quietly. "I don't really think it means anything. It's just a really bizarre coincidence." Zuko stared into her face for a while longer, then kissed her chin which was the only part of her face he could reach. He rested his head back on her chest and fell asleep with a sigh. Katie was in a very awkward position. Zuko was holding her in a vise-like grip and when he had crawled into bed he hadn't taken off his boots. Katie shifted around as best she could but it was no use. She finally managed to turn her body a little bit so that at least his boots weren't digging into her legs anymore. She kissed Zuko's forehead and drifted back to sleep for the third time that night.

* * *

"Please, just let me polish it." 

"No!" Zuko laughed.

"Come on, I want to see how much I can make that sucker shine." Katie said walking towards Zuko menacingly with a soft rag in her hand.

"I promise you, this is as shiny as my head gets."

"You mean you've polished your own head before?" Katie asked with a laugh.

"Let's see, how would you put it? Oh yes…duh!" Zuko grabbed her hands and pried the rag from her fingers, tossing it over his shoulder. "Besides, we should be preparing for our trip."

"Are we going to be walking to this next port?" Katie asked grabbing one of the shirts Shinja had given her and stuffing it into her bag.

"No. We'll be taking my aunt's rhinos. My uncle has offered to escort us thereand bring them back." Zuko said, helping Katie sort through the fine clothes for anything more practical for her to wear. He found a 'bra' under one of the gowns and picked it up. He inspected it closely and then held it out for Katie to see. "So how does this thing work again?" He asked giving her a sly grin.

"Hand it over you freak of nature. Just for that comment you're never going to find out." Katie said with a smile, grabbing it from him and shoving it into the bag as well. "I think I can handle this on my own. Why don't you go pack your own stuff?" Katie said trying to suppress a laugh as he peered into the sack after the bra. He grumbled something, but left anyways. Katie walked around the room restlessly, looking for anything else she would need. She walked over to the stand next to her bed and grabbed something resembling a toothbrush that Shinja had given her. This was the thing of which Katie was most grateful. Above the stand was a mirror, for the first time in days Katie took a good long look at herself. She still had the long scratch on her face, but the bruises were nothing but greenish smudges. Her throat was still a littlepurple and when she lifted up the hem of her tunic, she saw that her ribs were almost black. Her injuries had been throbbing dully since she got them, but over time she had just gotten used to the constant pain. Katie pulled her bangs out of her eyes so that she could see her whole face. It was still just too bizarre to think about Zerita's portrait. Finally she pulled herself away from the mirror and began sorting through some shoes in the closet. She found a pair of boots that were a lot like Zuko's and tried them on.

"Wow, these are hot." She muttered to herself as she twisted her ankle back and forth. The boots fit pretty well, walking in them was much easier and much more comfortable then when she had borrowed Zuko's which had been three sizes to big. Katie walked back to the mirror and twisted herself around so that she could get a good idea of what she looked like in the tunic and pants she was wearing. The shirt hugged her body loosely and the pants poofed out like marshmallows. Under normal circumstances she wouldn't dare walk out in public in these, but everyone here wore marshmallow pants. Along with the boots she almost looked like a bonofide firebender. Katie twisted so she could see her butt. At least _it_ didn't look too bad in these pants. She was pulled from her musings by a small cough from her doorway.

"Miss Katie?" Katie whipped around to see Marius staring at her.

"Yeah?" She asked blushing slightly at being caught inspecting her own backside.

"I hear that you and prince Zuko are leaving today."

"Yes, we are."

"Don't go with him."

"What?"

"Don't go with him. I fear for your safety when I see you with him. I know you felt sorry for him and it has blinded you until you believe you actually have feelings for him. But you don't know the prince as I do. He's a born killer. He will never feel anything for you but lust. Miss Katie, if you go with him, he will hurt you. I can guarantee this." Katie stared at Marius with a mixture of amazement and disgust.

"What makes you think you know _anything_ about him? You haven't seen him in over ten years."

"I know what I've heard. I've also seen how he looks at you. He has used his serpent eyes to blind you and when he's done with you, he will kill you." Katie looked into Marius' pale brown eyes. They were intense to the point that he almost looked insane. He walked closer to her and she took an involuntary step back, running right into the bedside table. "You should stay here with me. I will keep you safe and we will be so happy together miss Katie, you will see."

"Marius, I'm leaving today with Zuko." Katie said as firmly as she could. Marius looked at her sadly then grabbed her wrists. "Marius, what are you doing?" Katie asked, fear welling up inside her.

"No miss Katie. I'm not going to let you go." Katie let out a small cry of fear and surprise. She tried wrenching her hands from his grasp, but it was no use.

"ZUKO! ZUKO HELP!" She yelled, but she knew it was all in vain, the walls and doors separating them were too thick to be heard through. Katie began struggling harder, trying to get in a position where she could kick her way free. But Marius anticipated this and shoved her against the wall. He pinned her legs with one thigh and glared at her.

"Why are you struggling? You should be honored to be the target of my affection."

"ZUKO!"

"He will only lead you to suffering, miss Katie. Try to understand. You belong here with me." He leaned forward and whispered the last part. Katie smashed his nose with her forehead. Marius let go of her wrists with a howl. Katie brought her elbows up and slammed them down as hard as she could on either side of his shoulders at the base of his neck. As he lost his balance she brought her knee up into his guts and scrambled away from him. Katie ran to the bedroom door. Marius had locked it, and it took several seconds to get it undone. Just as she reached for the handle she heard a sound like a bug flying through the air andfelt something hit her arm, knocking her off balance. A pain seared through the arm and she felt something warm and wet begin traveling down to her wrist. Katie looked down in confusion at her bicep. Protruding from it was the gilded hilt of a dagger. The entire blade was buried deep into the muscle; she could see the shiny tip sticking out the other side. The dagger had gone completely through her arm! Katie glanced over at Marius in horror. He was climbing to his feet, rage etched in his face as he lunged towards her. Katie yanked the door open and ran out in to the hall, blood was now flowing freely from her arm.

"Miss Lin? Good Agni! What happened?" It was one of Zuko's uncles.

"Please, help me! Marius attacked me." She collapsed gratefully into the kind man's arms and pointed back to her room. Marius had just stumbled out and froze at the sight of his uncle. Blood was streaming from his broken nose.

"Marius?" He asked incredulously.

"Don't listen to her uncle. She led me here under false pretences and attacked me. I was only defending myself."

"You dirty son of a-"

"What in the blazes is going on out here?" They all turned to see Shinja walk out of a room followed closely by Zuko. All the blood drained from his face when he saw the dagger hilt in Katie's arm.

"He tried to kill me!" Katie shrieked pointing at Marius.

"She told me to meet her in her room and then tried to take advantage of me-!"

"Holy freak, you can't be serious!" Katie yelled.

"She began beating me when I didn't comply! I was merely defending myself and my honor." Katie was shaking from rage. She wanted to hurt Marius so badly right now, but Zuko beat her to it. He launched himself at his cousin, knocking him to the ground and began punching him repeatedly in the face. Steam was flowing from his mouth and there was fire in his eyes. Their uncle jumped in and tried to pull Zuko away but let out a cry of pain as the heat seared his hands on contact. Several other men arrived, drawn by the racket, and between them they finally managed to pull Zuko away. Marius lay motionless on the ground; his face was unrecognizable. Zuko struggled in his relative's grasps, trying to finish what he started.

"Come Katie. We must tend to your arm." Shinja whispered, pulling gently on her uninjured hand. Katie glanced at the dagger hilt as though she had never seen it before. Without thinking, she wrapped her hand around it a pulled it out. There was a collective gasp from some of the women that had gathered behind them. But Katie felt numb and she was shaking like crazy. She didn't think she was in shock, but didn't want to risk it. She began taking deep, long; steady breaths as Shinja led Katie to her own room. Shinja motioned for Katie to lie down on a couch against the wall. She did so, propping her feet up on a pillow and watched Shinja bustle around gathering bandages and other things from a cupboard. One of Shinja's daughters entered carrying a basin of warm water. Shinja pulled a stool next to the couch and began cutting away the blood-soaked sleeve of Katie's tunic.

"Hm, you should have waited and let me pull it out." Shinja said disapprovingly as she inspected the damage. "While I'm doing this, would you mind clearing things up about what happened just now?" Katie watched in half a daze as Shinja cleaned away the blood. She then pulled out a needle and some thick, catgut thread. Katie forced herself to look away when the sewing of her flesh began. Stab her, beat her, but don't come near her with needles. The whole time she recounted her story of Marius entering her room. Halfway through, she couldn't hold it back anymore and began sobbing. Shinja's daughter did the best she could to comfort Katie and Shinja returned to her cupboard. She came back caryying a strange splint. It fit right below Katie's armpit and traveled the whole length of her arm ending in a strange kind of handle.

"Squeeze it tightly dove." Shinja said shortly and began strapping Katie's arm to the splint. Katie squeezed the handle as hard as she could, but the strength in that arm seemed to have been sapped away leaving a burning pain. "I always knew there was something wrong with that boy. I just never figured he would do something like this. I'm very sorry about everything dove." Shinja said quietly.

"So you believe me?" Katie asked, trying to hold back a new waterfall of tears.

"Of course I do. Do you think I'm blind as well as senile? Marius may be pretty, but he's a twit. I've seen the way you and the young prince together and know you wouldn't have done what Marius has accused you of." Katie smiled at her thankfully and hiccupped.

"So, what's going to happen to him now?"

"I'm afraid that's not for me to decide. His parents are responsible for him and he has them eating out of the palm of his hand so there probably won't be any punishment. I do know one thing though. After his display I don't want him on my property where he could hurt one of my grandchildren." She finished off the bandage and tied it expertly. "Now, I don't want you taking that off or getting it wet. Have Iroh look at it when you get to the ship, him or his doctor will know how to take out the stitches when it has healed enough." Katie nodded and Zuko took the opportunity to burst in through the door. He seemed to have finally gotten control over his anger and it was now replaced with anxiety.

"Are you alright?" he demanded.

"Yeah, I'm fine." Katie said sitting up carefully. She felt her head spin and blackness began clouding her vision. She swallowed away the vertigo and gave Zuko a smile to prove that she was all right. Zuko sat next to her and took her good hand.

"Maybe we should stay here for another day or two…"

"No!" Katie said a little more loudly than she meant to. She shot an apologetic glance at Shinja, Katie just didn't want to risk another attempt from Marius. "Iroh is waiting for us. I swear I'll be fine." Zuko searched her eyes; he could see how scared she was about staying here.

"Alright. I'll go get the rhinos ready."

* * *

"Again, I am so sorry that this happened to you in my home." Shinja said clasping Katie's hand tightly. 

"Things just seem to be happening to me wherever I go. It's not your fault." Katie said with a shrug. Shinja pulled her close and hugged her.

"You are so like her." Shinja whispered. Katie frowned slightly, she knew exactly who Shinja was talking about. Shija pulled away and reached into her sleeve. She pulled out the blue leather bound book and gave it to Katie. "I was surprised when you chose this book. It was hers you know. I want you to keep it with you always." Katie took the book and ran her thumb over the cover. She felt her stomach give an uneasy churn.

"We're ready to leave now aunt Shinja." Zuko said as he walked up beside them. Zuko leaned down and kissed Shinja's cheeks. Everyone from the house came out to say his or her goodbyes. Katie had only been here a few days but she felt regretful leaving these people. Especially the children who reminded her so much of her own nieces and nephews back home. She hugged each and every one of them tightly before Zuko helped her mount her rhino. She took one last look at the beautiful old house. She clicked her tongue and prodded her rhino with her heels. Gradually the house disappeared behind a bend. Katie was still clutching the blue book beneath her elbow. She let the rhino have its head opened the book once more, gazing at the Chinese characters.

"Hey Zuko?" he glanced back at her with a worried expression.

"Are you alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. I was just wondering. Could you teach me how to read?" He gave her a confused look but nodded. Katie smiled at him and slipped the blue book into her saddlebag. _Well, here we go._

_

* * *

_

Now is a time when I could really use ideas as to what to do next. Because I really have no clue. I'm probably gonnastew over it as I fall asleep, but if anybody wants to give me a noodge,I would really appreciate it. I'm also kinda tempted to just end this here and make it a two parter because there's something I kinda want to write, but it I think it would be rated M and I really don't want to up the rating for this in case it stops people from reading this first part. I don't know. Would all ya'll stop reading if I upped therating? I'm really confused. REVIEW PLEASE FOR THE LOVE OF CHEESE AND GIVE ME YOUR GENIATIC ADVICE! (I just made up that word, it's kinda like 'genius'.)


	13. I gotta pee

Okay, funny story about my ditzyness. I was talking on the phone and saw this little red compact thing. I opened it up and thought, _Oh good. Lip gloss. _So I smear this stuff on my lips and then I realize that it smells really powerful and instead of making my lips softer it begins burning the crap out of them. Turns out it was actually perfume, so now I smell horribly like _Night Magic _and my lips are suffering from chemical burn. Yayness. Jeez, I have like five mosquito bites on my stomach and I have no idea how they got there. Gaaah! I found out that in my Sci-fi and mythology class my teacher wants each of us to write a story and try to get it published. Any ideas in this case would be welcome and if anybody wants to be a co-author, just tell me in a review or email me and we can swap ideas.I have a question to all you people bored enough to read about my life. How many of you out there are guys or girls? Some it's easy to tell, but others have left me stumped. Just let me know in a review, I'm really curious and I live in constant fear that I'll get genders messed up in shoutout messages.

**Athenera: **I really like your idea, but I've decided I want to keep the rating down so more people can read it. But I'm telling ya the truth when I say that I really thought about your idea and tried to find a place to put it, but I came up blank.

**Starchic: **Okay, I will.

**Newsiefreak9er9er: **Yes. Yes he is.

**Khazia: **Yeah, I really should go see fantastic 4. And yes, I tend to add a lot of pain to my fics. It makes me laugh.

**Lovergal1227: **M-A-R-I-U-S. And I'm kinda using the idea you gave me in this chapter, but I think we'll see it more later on.

**ZukoPunk: **That sucks that your email is down. Hey, I read in your profile that you have two ferrets! That rocks. I had one two years ago. His name was Taz and he was the greatest even though he reeked somethin' awful. He would climb up my bedspread and sleep on my feet. Then he would bite my feet. But he got loose and my neighbor's dog ate him. How sad.

**Zukoscute2: **I really liked your story. I can't quite remember if I reviewed, but I'm pretty sure I did. Yes, Marius is a Scuzzoid.

**O-dragon: **Just for your sake I'm going to keep the rating down. I'm also taking your plot idea into deep consideration and think I'll try to use it in a later chapter. There's a little something between Katie and Sokka in this chapter, I just don't want to be one of those Mary-Sue'rs that have every guy falling over themselves for my character. To tell you the truth I'm just not pretty enough. So there's not going to be an actual relationship there. And I don't think I'll make myself a bender of any kind.

Once again, I can see on my stats page that there's another review for this chapter, but my computer won't let me see it yet. So I'll get you nextchapter whoever you are.

* * *

"GAH! This is so confusing." Katie yelled in frustration. They had stopped to camp for the night; they had traveled five miles in three hours. Katie was already feeling extremely grumpy. Shinja had done a very good job with the stitches, Katie could barely feel a thing, but the splint had left her arm hanging limply at her side. She couldn't bend it or rest it on anything so the entire left side of her body was beginning to feel the strain. When they had stopped, Zuko had remained true to his word and had begun her first reading lesson. 

"Only because you're making it so hard. Besides, I was under the impression that you already knew how to read."

"I can, but I know how to read something entirely different from this." Katie said leaning down to get a better look at the character. "So tell me again what this one says?"

"It says 'tree'. You can tell because of these two lines. If they weren't there it would just say 'plant'." (a/n: I really don't know how to read Chinese characters; I'm just making up what sounds good in my brain.) Katie glared at the symbol trying to readjust her arm. Just wearing the brace was making her feel exhausted. It was taking every shred of self-control to stop herself from ripping it off. "Here, how about this." Zuko stood up and rummaged through his saddle bag until he came up with a piece of parchment he had brought in case he needed to write a letter to his uncle. He also grabbed a burning stick from the fire. He extinguished the flame clinging to it and drew away any residual heat.

"This is the basic word for plant." He wrote it down and then wrote the word several more times. He than began adding various lines or dots to each one. "This is tree. This is rose. This is flower in general. This is leaf…" He went on down the list. Suddenly an idea popped into Katie's head. She took the stick and parchment from him and wrote beneath each one in English. "What's that?" Zuko asked staring at the strange, curved markings.

"This is what I can read." Katie said trying to get the burnt stick to work as good as a pencil. Zuko looked very interested. "So learning how to read your way has to do with memorizing every single character?" Katie asked with a frown.

"Of course. How else would you learn how to read?" Katie sighed and rolled her neck around feeling a satisfying pop. _This is going to take a while. _The lesson continued on for another hour. Zuko's uncle would watch over their shoulders and give his advice every now and then as he cooked their meal. By the end of the lesson, Katie had learned various types of plants and animals. She felt like her brain was going to pop. Finally, Zuko announced that this was enough and they began setting out their bedding. Katie began scratching at her bandages. Her skin felt tight and itchy all up and down her arm. It was driving her insane.

"I have to say that I've never met a more unlucky person." Zuko said glancing up at her with a grin. "What is it about you that unleashes obsessive behavior in us?"

"I really can't imagine what it is, I'm not even that cute." She muttered sullenly as she undid her boot. She let out a happy little groan as she pulled the boot off. "Oh man. Something that feels this good should be illegal."

"Huh?"

"Nothing. So do you think we'll get back to your ship by tomorrow?"

"Probably not. Maybe by noon the day after." Zuko said smoothing out his bedroll then moving over to do the same for Katie. She sighed and tried shifting her shoulder around. The end of the brace was digging uncomfortably into her armpit.

"I have to pee." She announced standing up and walking away barefoot.

"Be careful." Zuko called after her.

"Please, I've been doing it for years." Katie joked before she disappeared into the trees. Katie walked out of sight of their campfire and looked around. She loved the woods at night. She watched an owl flutter overhead and disappear into an old cracked pinetree. Katie looked down at her belt and sighed. _How am I supposed to do this with one hand? _She wondered, frowning. She heard a snap in the foliage and tensed. She looked around blocking the suddenly bright moonlight from her eyes with her hand so she could see. Back home when she was little her uncle would tell her Bigfoot stories when they went camping that would totally freak her out. These jumped into her head right now as she stood alone in a strange world. She strained her ears and she felt primordial instincts begin blooming forth. She could sense that something was coming towards her, she just couldn't distinguish what direction it was coming from. Suddenly she felt a hand clamp tightly over her mouth and another wrapped around her, pulling her back deeper into the trees. She bit down hard and used her splinted arm as a club, whacking her assailant upside the head. She opened her mouth to yell for Zuko when she heard:

"Dammit! What are you doing? I'm trying to help you!"

"Sokka? What the hell do you think you're doing?" Katie whispered angrily.

"I said I'm trying to help you. If you come with us now we can get you away from Zuko before he notices you're gone. Geez! I think I'm bleeding!" he said touching his head with a finger then inspecting it in the moonlight.

"Sokka, Zuko isn't holding me captive."

"Please, every time I've seen you you've been beaten up one way or another. You can't tell me he's not holding you against your will."

"You've seen me twice and Zuko isn't the one beating the tar out of me. Now would you mind giving me some privacy before my eyes start turning yellow?"

"What?"

"I have to pee! I can feel my liver beginning to rupture as we speak, so go away!" She said and shoved Sokka away. "But thanks for the concern anyways Sokka. Give Katara and Aang my best." She whispered as loudly as she dared as Sokka disappeared into the trees.

* * *

After the call of nature was officially answered, Katie strolled happily back into camp. Zuko looked like he was about to pull his hair out. 

"What took you so long? I thought something had happened to you!"

"Um, excuse me. I kinda don't have access to all my facilities right now." She said waving her arm. "Speaking of lima beans, could you help me with my belt? It's one feat I haven't managed on my own." Zuko helped her with the buckle, Katie officially felt like a four-year-old.

"I'm sorry I snapped at you. Things just seem to be happening to you around every corner."

"Yeah, tell me something I don't know." Katie sank into her bed with a groan. Two feet away Zuko did the same. She went over the events of the day in her head. Listening to Zuko tell her about his mother last night seemed like ages ago. She remembered him saying that his mother's presence had really changed his father. Really looking at Zuko now she could see how much the last week and a half had changed him. Not long ago he was bent on finding the avatar, now he was using all his energies to be her babysitter. Katie frowned slightly. "Zuko, just let me know if I'm being a burden." Zuko had been gazing up at the stars, he turned and frowned at Katie.

"What do you mean? You're not a burden."

"Puh-leez! You wouldn't even be here right now if it weren't for me. You would still be on your ship living life comfortably with only the avatar to worry about. Now you have Zhao out for your blood and all the other crap I've brought down on you."

"Zhao's always been out for my blood. And I haven't thought about the avatar for the past few days. Do you know what a relief on my mind that has been? You've shown me what it's like to live. You're anything but a burden. Now go to sleep. Tomorrow's going to be a long day." He reached across the distance between them and squeezed her hand. Katie gave him a little grateful smile.

"G'night Zuko." She said, already her eyes felt heavy and would roll unbidden back into her skull.

"Goodnight Katie."

"Goodnight Zuko's uncle."

"Goodnight kids."

"Goodnight little forest critters."

"Okay Katie, now you're being a burden." Katie grinned into her pillow and drifted off into a dreamless sleep.

* * *

Kay, before anybody asks, Zuko's uncle isn't going to have a name. I'm just too lazy right now to come up with anything. Rememememeber. I want to know what gender you are so that I don't make any messups in my shoutout messages. I'm not a weird stalker person, I promise. And, as always, please review. 


	14. too tired to think of sum'm good

Okay, this is a chapter I don't feel to strongly about, I just kind of threw it together and I really think I should have taken more time on it, but time right now is something I can't really spare, so sorry if this sucks. Things have just been psychowith skool and more skool and trying to work. Plus I'm exhausted because I have been waking up a 4 in the morning despite my best efforts to get more sleep. Geez, I'm so out of shape. I hiked the grotto today and my legs were about to give out on me. Anyways, let's hear it for my dad and brother. Both of them bagged a deer this week in the archery hunt. I'm so jealous. Usually I practically spend my summers in the woods camping, but I haven't gone ONCE this year! No fair. Anyways.

**Katara183: **I'm glad you put me on your favorites list, it makes me feel so good inside. I liked the name you gave me. I don't think I'll use it on the uncle because I figure it's too late now, but keep your eyes open, I may use it on another character somewheres else.

**Lovergal1227: **Yeah, your genderis kinda obvious;-)

**ZukoPunk: **Ferrets rock!

**Khazia: **Yeah, I know you're a girl. Thanx for your ideas, they really helped. I'll drop you another email tomorrow.

**starchild9876: **Thanx

**O-dragon: **Yup, no problem. Wow, that's a weird coincidence. And thanx for your concern. I don't think I'm not pretty, I just don't think I'm gorgeous is what I was trying to say. I'm not someone that really stands out unless my hair is especially spiky.

**Athenera: **I would lurv to read your story when you post it. Let me know when and I'll give you gushing reviews. How about that. And you should use your idea. I don't think I would have been able to do it justice.

**Plutobaby494: **Yeah, everything does seem to be happening to my character. Let me know if it seems to be going over the top.

Okay, now here's a haphazordously thrown chapter. I'm sorry it's short and not that great, I just feel like a Syphillatic Rabbit right now.

* * *

Katie had never been happier in her life then when she saw the hull of Zuko's ship rising above the shops of the small port town. Iroh met them at the plank; he clasped hands with Zuko and gave Katie a fatherly hug. They bid farewell to Zuko's other uncle and boarded the ship. Iroh led Katie to the infirmary as she told him all about what had happened since she had followed Zhao into the forest six days earlier. The ship's doctor carefully unwrapped Katie's arm which had gone completely numb the day before. The blood began rushing to her hand once the bandages were removed and her fingers tingled painfully. 

"Well, I think it's doing rather well. We won't have to put the splint back on, but we still need to keep it wrapped." The doctor said. He carefully cleaned the dried blood from around the stitches.

"How long do I have to keep the stitches in for?" Katie asked staring in disgust at the thick black thread.

"Hm, I would say about another week or two. How deeply did the blade go into your arm?" Katie twisted her arm so he could see the stitches on the other side. "Good Agni! How far was the boy when he threw the blade?" He cried inspecting the wound closely.

"About nine feet. It was a good thing his eyes were watering or else I think he would have gotten me in the back." Katie said with a scowl.

"Well, in this case it may be three weeks until the stitches can be removed. It's amazing that the knife didn't hit the bone or any major arteries is all I can say." The doctor said and began re-wrapping her bicep. "Can you move your fingers for me?" Katie did, but it was a very feeble wiggle and it shot a white-hot pain up her damaged muscles. "I will let you borrow these stress balls." The doctor said taking out a small box with two balls set inside resembling ping-pong balls. Katie pulled one out and inspected it. Her brother had a set of these; they were very heavy and had a sort of bell set inside them. "Roll them around in your hand everyday to help build the strength back. I know it will be painful at first, but it's better to keep those muscles working as they heal so you don't have a harder time about it later." Katie nodded and Zuko entered the room with his uncle.

"So, how is it?" Zuko asked walking up to her and gently touching her bandages. He still hadn't seen the actual cut.

"The mother and child are fine." The doctor said giving Katie a wink.

"WHAT!" Katie laughed at the shocked expression on his face and kissed his cheek.

"My arm is fine. I just gotta live with these stitches for a few more weeks." She looked over at Iroh who was watching her curiously. Zuko gently squeezed her hand and Iroh's suspicions were confirmed. Something had happened between them. The doctor fashioned a sling for her and helped her ease her arm into it.

"Miss Lin, you look very distressed. Perhaps you could join me over a cup of tea. It always is good for calming nerves." Iroh said when the doctor had finished.

"Yeah, sure." Katie said standing up from the bed. The sling was _so _much more comfortable than the splint.

"I need to speak with the helmsman about our course. I'll join you later." Zuko said and took a separate hallway. Katie followed Iroh into his bedroom and sat on a cushion next to a Pi Sho board that was often used as a table. Iroh picked up a teapot and heated the contents by blowing into the spout.

"So tell me about you and my nephew." Iroh said conversationally as he poured tea into two cups.

"Um, we just grew a little closer to each other in the last week." Katie said giving a shrug. She took one of the cups of tea from Iroh and blew away some steam before taking a sip. She wasn't the biggest fan of tea and this wasn't much different from other herbal blends she had tried, but she drank it anyways to be polite.

"Miss Lin. I think I should tell you something I've noticed since you arrived here. You see you-"

"I look like Zuko's mother. Yeah, I know."

"How did you know?"

"Shinja had a portrait of her in the library. What was Zerita like?" Iroh stroked his beard and took a sip of tea.

"Hmm, as you know she looked very much as you do. Her eyes and hair were darker and her skin was pale. She was also much smaller than you, in fact she was a very petite woman. She loved to sing and had a good eye for the arts. She was very soft spoken and my brother loved her very much. In fact she brought something out in him that I've never seen before or since."

"How old was she when she died?"

"She was nineteen." Katie sighed and stared into her teacup. She reached into her coat pocket and pulled out the blue book.

"Can you tell me what this says? Zuko has started teaching me to read, but I'm not good enough yet to figure out what it is." Iroh took the book and flipped it open carefully.

"Where did you get this?" he asked flipping through the pages.

"Shinja gave it to me. She said it belonged to Zerita."

"Yes, it did belong to her. This was her diary." Katie felt the blood freeze in her veins. "I told you she had an eye for the arts. These drawings and paintings were hers. She has written many poems and short stories in here." He read over a page and chuckled. "I had almost forgotten that she once called Ozai 'Funny face'." He grinned and handed the book back to her.

"Should I let Zuko know about this? Not my resemblance because he already knows about that, but should I give him this book?"

"I don't see why not. It is not a bad thing to remember those that have passed on. I believe it would be good for him to learn more about the mother he never knew."

"Thanks Iroh."

"Of course. And if you ever want to talk again go right on ahead. I'm always somewhere on this god-forsaken ship."

* * *

Zuko was really quiet that night when Katie told him what the little blue book was. He sat at his meditation table the entire night with a single candle flickering beside him so he could read. Iroh had purchased all the clothes Katie had found at the shop all those days ago. She put away all of their things before sinking happily onto the familiar mattress. She watched the lines of Zuko's face as he sat, his eyes moving slowly over each page. Slowly, she drifted off to sleep.

* * *

TWO AND A HALF WEEKS LATER 

Katie and Zuko sat reading together at the helm of the ship. Iroh had let them borrow every book and scroll in his collection in the effort to learn how to read. Slowly but surely, Katie was beginning to understand the symbols on the page. Katie stretched and bent her arm happily. The ship's doctor had decided that her arm had healed enough and had taken out the stitches. Finally she could bathe! At the first place they docked after getting rid of the stitches, Katie had jumped headlong into the salty ocean. She yelled for Zuko to join her but to no avail. She finally had to walk out, grab him and drag him into the water. All of this had happened earlier that morning, now they sat warm and dry waiting for the crew to finish preparing the ship to shove off.

"Prince Zuko!" One of the soldiers ran up and saluted Zuko.

"Yes?"

"Sir. We have spotted the avatar." Zuko stood up immediately.

"How long ago?"

"Perhaps ten minutes ago my lord."

"Where was he? Was he already traveling or does he appear to be staying for a while."

"I believe they are staying. I saw them setting up camp just outside the city limits."

"Gather the soldiers. LIUTENANT JI! Prepare a scouting party, the avatar has been spotted." Soldiers began scuttling around to do their prince's bidding. Iroh walked aboard the ship and glanced around in mild interest.

"My my. What is happening here?"

"Uncle, the avatar has been spotted less than a mile away. Stay here with Katie until I get back." Zuko called to his uncle as he disappeared below deck barking out more orders.

"Hm, well my dear. How about a game of Pi Sho to pass the time?" Iroh said rubbing his hands together.

"Um, I don't think I'm feeling too well. Maybe I'll just go lie down." Katie said standing up. She headed down to her and Zuko's room, biting her bottom lip anxiously.

* * *

I should write more for this chapter, but my brain is beginning to grow numb from lack of sleep, so hate me if you want I'm just too much of a zombie right now to care. ZZZZzzzzzzz 


	15. saddest AN ever!

I swear, I have just about the worst luck with cats. My last cat, Skooshi, ran away because I was too lazy to take him to the vet to get his 'manhood' removed. And now prepare yourself for the saddest story ever. I got home from school today and my dad was mowing the lawn. he told me to grab my cat because she was laying in the way and wasn't willing to move out of the way of the lawnmower. So I picked her up and took her to the back yard. I put her down by her food dish and she fell over and began moving really funny. I grabbed my mom to come check her out and all we could figure is that she either got kicked by a horse or hit by a car. Both her front and back leg on her left side were broken. In fact they were shattered. I just didn't notice it when I picked her up earlier because I held her really close to my body with her legs tucked in. Then we noticed that her face looked funny. Her jaw was broken along with several teeth. It was really sad, but the most humane thing we could think of to do was to put her down. Otherwise she would have led a life in constant misery. But, I've written this chapter anyways. Here it is.

**Katara183: **Don't worry. I'll give you the credit if I ever use the name.

**Lovergal1227: **Hm, that reminds me that I desperately need to update my other story. I've kinda been ignoring it because I'm so psyched about this one.

**Khazia: **I'm sorry to hear your sick, but I'm glad you liked this last chapter because there were several who didn't. Including me. Yes, stitches are very very icky. Anyways, speaking of weird dreams, I had one about you last night which is really weird because I don't even have the foggiest idea of what you look like. You had a little sister in the dream, but other than that I can't remember anything else. How weird is that?

**ZukoPunk: **Ew, the smell is the only thing keeping me from owning 20 of the adorable little buggers.

**Athenera: **Now that I'm concious, I totally agree. Last chapter sucked like a monkey. I hope this one satisfies your craving for apple-pie-cinnimon-roll-whatever you called it.

**Zukoscute2: **Yes, I was a Zombie yesterday. I figure I'll just get all the sleep I need for the week on saturday and call it good.

**Plutobaby494: **Thanx for the encouragement. I'm depressed right now and it helps.

* * *

Katie flexed her arm nervously as she sat on her bed waiting for Zuko to return. She was torn in two places. She wanted desperately to help Aang, but she didn't even know the kid other than what she'd seen on the show. Besides, who knew what fate wanted to happen to him? Zuko wouldn't hurt the boy once he caught him, she knew that for sure. Maybe that's how it's supposed to be. Or maybe Zuko won't capture him at all and Aang will escape like he always did on the show. Katie grabbed her ukujo and plucked it absently. The sound didn't come out as it should because her left hand was still too weak to press down on the strings as hard as she needed to. After a half an hour of an inner conflict she felt like she was going to scream. She stood up with a sigh and wandered back up to the deck.

* * *

"SOKKA! KATARA! GET OUT OF HERE NOW!" Aang yelled as he blocked a blow from one of the firenation soldiers. He chanced a glance to his left and saw Sokka go down from a blow to the head. Aang blasted the soldier away with an air current and jumped over to where Sokka lay. Katara was standing over her brother's unconscious form doing her best to keep the soldiers away with a water whip. Aang blasted them away as well.

"Hurry, we need to get to Appa." Katara said grabbing one of Sokka's arms. Aang took the other and between them they hauled Sokka upright and ran as fast as they could to the bison that was watching the proceedings with mild interest. Aang halted for a second to send another powerful current at the pursuing soldiers. One soldier managed to dodge it and shot a fireball at the avatar. Aang grabbed the fire out of the air with his mind and threw it back at the soldier.

"HE CAN BEND FIRE NOW AS WELL!" They heard Zuko yell from behind them. Aang pulled Sokka up into the saddle when he felt a rope catch around his arms, pulling him away from his friends. Soldiers immediately fell on top of him, pinning his arms and legs to the ground, one particularly large fellow even sat down on his back.

"AANG!" Katara screamed. She began climbing back out of the saddle.

"APPA! YIP YIP!" Aang yelled before she made too much progress. Katara was thrown from her feet as the bison took flight.

"DON"T LET THEM GET AWAY!" Zuko yelled at his soldiers. One soldier had already sent up a stream of flames at the bison causing it to swerve out of the way. Katara lost her balance completely and fell from the saddle. Luckily Appa hadn't been too high up and she managed to land in their heap of supplies.

"KATARA RUN!" Aang yelled. But before she could get to her feet a soldier had snagged her arms and held her firmly. Aang struggled feebly, trying to get his hands free, but it was no use. A bag was placed over his head and his hands were shackled behind his back.

"I have you now Avatar." Zuko murmured only a few feet away. Aang tried to judge where he was and shot a flame at the prince from his foot. But the prince dodged it easily.

"Prince Zuko, let my friend go. Take me but just let her go!" Aang cried.

"What? So she can stage a rescue. Wouldn't you rather have someone to talk to while you stay on my ship?" Zuko purred. "FALL OUT." He called to his men.

* * *

Katie had sighed in relief when she saw Appa soar from the trees in the distance. At least they had gotten away, even if it did mean Zuko would be coming back furious. She leaned against the railing and watched the path that led into the trees, waiting for a steaming Zuko to trudge through. But when he did walk into the open air, Zuko was grinning from ear to ear. Walking in front of him with his hands bound and a sack over his face was Aang. Several feet behind them was Katara. A white and brown blur flew up to Katie and perched on her shoulder, wrapping a long soft tail around her neck. But Katie was just too shocked to notice Momo who was trying desperately to get her to scratch his ears.

"Behold. The key to my honor and throne." Zuko said once he stepped onto the ship. He held out his hands and bowed to her. Katie felt herself force a smile and wrap an arm around his waist when he came to stand beside her.

"What are you going to do with him?" Katie asked trying to sound nonchalant. Aang's head was twisting back and forth inside the sack. Katara was staring at Katie with her mouth gaping.

"Nothing. I'll present him to my father. He'll do with him as he pleases." Zuko said. She could tell that whatever his father had planned for the avatar, Zuko didn't quite approve but wasn't admitting it to himself.

"And the girl?"

"Take them down below." Zuko said to the nearest guard. Then he turned and answered Katie's question, "I'll keep her here as leverage for the Avatar. Once we deliver him to the palace she'll be set free."

"Is it alright if I talk to them?" Katie asked looking into Zuko's face and giving him her best puppy dog impression. He looked dubious at first but finally nodded.

"Of course, but not tonight. Tonight we will celebrate. I'm sure my uncle could get a decent banquet underway in under ten minutes." He took her hand and pulled her behind him to find his uncle. She knew then and there that he really didn't want her to speak to Aang or Katara. The memory returned of music night. Zuko had told her that he didn't trust her, but was willing to try to get along with her. She realized now that he still didn't quite trust her and she didn't blame him. He really didn't know anything about her.

It was surprising how fast Iroh could get a celebration underway. The dinner table that night was laden with excellent food. The cook had grown used to Katie's taste for blander foods and had a plate set-aside for her. But Katie barely touched her meal. In fact she barely reacted to anything that evening except to take a bottle of liquor away from Zuko before he put it to his lips. Katie glanced around the table. All of the men seemed so happy to have finally caught the Avatar. She realized that they had all left their families behind to aid Zuko in his search. Now that Aang was in their custody, they had hope to see theirloved onesonce more. She began to feel a little better about Aang's capture at this thought, but then a pesky little voice in the back of her mind whispered: _What are you thinking. This is a little boy's life. This is the fate of this entire world. It is NOT okay that he's been captured. _Katie sighed and tried to shake the voice from her head.

"Are you feeling alright miss Lin?" Iroh asked from the other side of Zuko. "I almost forgot you said you were ill this afternoon." Zuko turned and gave her a look of concern.

"No, I'm fine. I'm just a bit tired I guess." Zuko stood up and offered her a hand.

"Yes, it's getting late." Zuko said. He pulled her to her feet and they left the dining hall. Once they got back to their room Zuko busted out laughing. He jumped on his bed, kicking his feet in the air in merriment as he laughed his head off.

"Someone didn't sneak you alcohol behind my back did they?" Katie asked shuffling through her small drawer for her pajamas.

"No. I'm just so blazing happy." Zuko said grinning up at her. All of a sudden he jumped to his feet and whipped her around to face him. He put one arm around her waist and held one of her hands with his other. "Dance with me." He said resting his forehead against hers.

"What?" She asked unable to keep down a laugh.

"You heard me. Let's dance."

"Zuko, I'm tired…"

"Just dance with me. I promise that I'll never ask you for anything ever again." She laughed some more but finally wrapped her free arm around his neck and they began dancing slowly around the room. Zuko began humming a tune softly as he led the dance. Katie had never heard him hum before and she couldn't help but chuckle. She rested her head on his shoulder and just rocked back and forth in his arms as more conflicting thoughts battled in her head over Aang.

"Are you okay?" Katie lifted her head up to look into his face.

"I guess I'm just not completely accustomed to the whole war thing yet. The thought of having prisoners is just kinda disconcerting." Zuko frowned slightly at her.

"Katie, I'm not going to release the Avatar." Zuko said quietly.

"I'm not asking you to. But I've been in those prison cells and I would feel a ton better if you would just let me go down and make sure they're comfortable." Zuko searched her eyes for a hidden agenda of some kind. "Zuko please. Let me speak to them and I won't hold you to your word about never asking me for anything ever again." Zuko still didn't seem to sure. "Zuko, I know you don't trust me but please…"

"What would make you think I don't trust you?"

"Well, your uncertainty right now for one thing." Zuko bit his bottom lip, the wheels were really spinning inside his head right now.

"All right. Go ahead and speak with them, but I don't want you growing attached to them. Don't listen to any crazy ideas they feed you either." Katie grinned and kissed his cheek.

"Thank you so much. You have no idea what a load off my mind this is." Katie turned and ran from the room. Katie found Momo lurking in the hallway. She had completely forgotten about the poor little guy. He must have gotten lost in the labyrinth of rooms and hallways in the navy vessel. She picked him up and stroked his back as she headed down to the holding cells.

"Good evening miss Lin. Did you enjoy the feast?" The guard asked her when she entered the main room. She could see the huddled forms of Aang and Katara in separate cells. Her heart went out to them but she turned and hid it by smiling at the guard.

"Yeah, it was very nice. Did you get to go?"

"Yes. I just took over for Bromm. Can I do anything for you miss?"

"I justwanted to speak with the prisoners." The guard looked uncertain. "I have Zuko's permission. Do you want me to go get him for you?"

"No, it isn't necessary miss." He stood aside and let her pass. Momo jumped out of her arms and scampered over to Aang as she walked towards the holding cell. Aang hugged the lemur happily. Katie glanced over her shoulder at the guard, but another had entered and the two of them began chatting happily.

"How are you doing? Are you comfortable? Can I get you anything to eat?" Katie asked anxiously. Katara looked slightly taken aback.

"Um. I guess we're fine." She said.

"That's good." Katie ran a hand through her hair awkwardly. A thought suddenly popped into her head. "Where's Sokka?"

" Yeah, like we would tell you where my brother is? Give us some credit. We know you're close to prince Zuko." Katara said glaring at Katie.

"Look." She glanced over her shoulder to make sure the guard was still occupied with the other soldier. "Just tell me what I can do to help you. I give you my word that I'm not loyal to Ozai. If I'm going to be living in this world I don't want suffering and conflict greeting me aroundevery corner."

"You could help us escape." Aang whispered excitedly. Katie glanced back at the guards again.

"Alright. But just like when I gave you that gold, Zuko absolutely cannot know."

* * *

I hope that redeems me for my last chapter of suckiness. Now excuse me as I go cry into my pillow about my poor kitty.


	16. bleeding ouch

Well, thanx to everyone who comforted me about my kitty. I felt much better today. Mostly because it's _Onion days _up town meaning CARNIVAL FUNNESS BABY! I went with my friends and we spent three hours going on rides. I absolutely love the zipper. The only problem is that none of my friends have an ironstomach like I do, so after those three hours they started complaining about throwing up and the fact that their equilibriums will never function properly again. The whiners. I want to go again tomorrow, but the carnival sucked up my meager funds. There was also a school football game today. I am mildly curious to whether we won against Provo, but knowing our football team's record, the answer is probably no. We kinda suck at football, but we rock at basketball and our girl's teams in every sport completely dominate.

Alrighty then.

**Katara183: **Yeah, it's sad. If I do use the name, it will most likely be in this story. I let you know in an authors note or shoutout.

**Lovergal1227: **I'm really thinking she got hit by a car.

**Khazia: **I'm sorry to hear about your golden retriever. I don't think I'll be getting another cat anytime soon. My dad hates cats and only let me adopt this one because it was a drop-off. We get a lot of them out here in the country. So I guess I'll just have to be happy with my horse until I move out in two years. And to slightly quote O-dragon: "Don't ever say you're not pretty. Never put yourself down like that!" Or something along those lines. That really is a weird dream by the way. And that's coming from the queen of weird dreams. I bow down to your subconcious imagination.

**Darklight4ever: **Hey! A new name! Welcome aboard. As for my cat, I really think a car hit her.

**I'm stupid get over it: **Naw, I can't take a week off. I would go insane. And I don't think I could cry my eyes out if I tried, I'm just kind of a void of emotion.

**Athenera: **Yeah, I'm feeling better today. I'm glad you found my last chapter tasty. Hope you like this one as well.

**O-dragon: **Wow, I don't know where to begin. I guess I;ll just say 'thanx for your compliments'. I can't wait to read your new story, in fact I'm going to go read it right now after I finish posting this chapter. Yes, Katie and Zuko are going to get to know each other. As for the escape plan, I'm still trying to come up with sum'm clever. I don't want it to be just a 'they got the keys and jumped on Appa within five minutes' sorta deal.

**albro62: **Wow, I'm glad I checked my reviews before posting this chapter, otherwise I would have missed yours and then you would hate me and never read my story again! Gasp for breath. Just kidding. I hope I don't sound heartless when I say; I really didn't cry after my kitty died. I only had her for a week, so I didn't really get too attached. Plus I'm not a very emotional person.

**Plutobaby494: **Wow, I almost missed your review as well. I'm glad you liked the chapter and I'm pretty sure that my kitty was hit by a car.

By the way. I read on Masako Moonshade's story that the new Avatar episodes are coming in 21 days. Can anybody deny or confirm this because I'm bubbling over with anticipation! I still haven't seen the first two epsiodes though because the stupid Nickelodeon people must think we only want to see the Great Divide fifty hundred times. Sorry to fans of that episode, but it's my least favorite and it's all they seem to play. Anyways, this story deals slightly with a topic that will most likely make guys uncomfortable if you can dicern the title. So my sympathy goes out to ya.

* * *

Sokka's head felt like it was being split down the middle when he woke up. He sat up and glanced around in a half daze before the memory of the day's events caught up with him. 

"Katara? Aang?" He asked looking around feebly. All he got in answer was a confused, rumbling grunt from the bison below him. Dread filled his chest. The only explanation was that Zuko had managed to capture them. Sokka got unsteadily to his feet and carefully made his way to Appa's head fighting back a wave of dizziness and trying to avoid looking at the trees rushing by a mile below him. After a mild struggle he managed to untangle the reigns and turn the giant creature back in what Sokka hoped was the direction they had come from.

* * *

Zuko was lying on his back reading from his mother's diary when Katie returned from the cellblock. 

"So are they all right?" He asked glancing at her over his book.

"Yeah. They were a little cold so I got them blankets. Other than that they were fine." Katie said grabbing her pajamas from where she had dropped them. Zuko really had no concern for decency and didn't care who saw him as he got dressed, but for her sake a screen had been brought in to change behind. After she changed she went and lay down next to Zuko, resting her head on his chest. He put one arm comfortably around her and continued reading. Katie gazed at the characters but she could only recognize a few after two weeks of lessons. Zuko began reading from the diary quietly. There were poems on just about every third page or so that were absolutely beautiful. Katie wasn't really one for poetry, but she felt as though she could listen to these for hours on end.

"I'm in this entry." Zuko said quietly.

"Oh, really?" Katie said curiously. She knew that Zuko had read through the diary at least a dozen times by now, but she only knew what was on the first twenty pages or so. She didn't think there was anything in here from after his birth.

"Yes. All those other entries were from when she was carrying me. This one's about my birth. '_The glorious blessing of life has finally come in the form of a small pink bundle. I am naming my tiny prince _Zuko _for his great grandfather. I've never seen Ozai act more tenderly than when he held the delecate miracle in his shaking hands. To think that this beautiful child will one day be as great a Lord as his father is absolutely amazing. I can't wait for the day that I can stand behind him and watch as his crown is placed on his head.'" _Zuko sighed happily. "Do you think she will be able to watch from the spirit world as I accept my crown?" He asked.

"No. I know she will be able to. I also know that she will be very proud of you." Katie whispered. She could feel him smile and he turned back to finish the passage.

"'_He was born at sunset last evening. He weighed no more than Geigi fish and my nursemaids assured me that a healthier baby had never been born. The thought that I brought this life into the world is more than I can bear. I don't think I could ever be happier than I am at this moment. And now I leave my writings to kiss my son goodnight.'" _They sat in silence as Zuko read over the passage several more times in his head. "I really wish I could have known her. Who knows how differently things would be now if she had lived." He said quietly.

"We can only imagine." Katie murmured. She sat up and kissed Zuko's forehead before moving over to her own bed. They said their 'goodnights' and Zuko extinguished the lamps. It was past midnight by now and Katie knew she should be exhausted. But her mind wouldn't stop spinning. She wanted to help Aang and Katara, she had given them her word that she would. But Zuko had taken a big step in proving that he trusted her, and in return she betrayed him at the first chance she got. Her stomach began churning. She needed some fresh air. She stood up as quietly as she could. She knew that Zuko was still awake so she gave him a quiet explanation before slipping out of the room. The air had been growing colder the last few days. Zuko had told Katie that they were within 100 miles of the North Pole. But now they had turned and were returning south. Aang had come such a long way and they had snatched him just when he was within sights of his goal. Katie sighed and rubbed her face in frustration. She looked up at the stars, hoping to find comfort in the familiar constellations she had been picking out for her entire life. But these stars were so different from the ones she knew. Instead of comfort she felt even more frustration. She let out a small growl and looked back down into the black water. Gazing up at her was a pair of sapphire blue eyes. Katie nearly jumped out of her skin. Sokka reached up and quickly clamped a hand over her mouth before she could make a sound.

"Where are my sister and Aang?" He demanded as quietly as he could. Katie pulled her face away from her hand and glanced over her shoulder to make sure nobody was within hearing distance.

"Are you crazy? Someone is always watching me. You're going to get yourself killed." Katie hissed.

"Just tell me where they're being kept."

"They're in the prison cell on the bottom deck."

"Can you take me to them?"

"You've got to be kidding me! I just told you that someone is always watching me and you want me to take you there?"

"Well I can't just stand aside and do nothing."

"I'll talk to them and come up with something. Stay out of sight and keep an eye on the deck at night. If I come out here alone then come on down." She heard a door close just below deck and footsteps. Sokka sank back down into Appa's saddle and drifted out of view. Katie pretended to be gazing out over the water when she felt two warm arms wrap around her. She leaned back into Zuko's chest and felt another pang of guilt at her treachery.

"Are you alright? You've been acting very strange all day." He murmured.

"Yeah. I guess I'm just a bit confused and homesick." She said.

"Well, I promise. After we present the avatar to my father I will take you to see your family." After he said it he felt a fear blossom inside. If he did take her home would she choose to stay? Butthe promisedidn't seem to lighten her mood at all. She heaved another sigh and rested her head back on his shoulder, looking up at the sky.

"Do you know about any constellations?"

"Any what?"

"Constellations, star formations?" she said hoping that one of these terms meant anything.

"Oh, yes I do."

"Can you show me?" She asked, desperate for anything to take her mind away from her inner conflict. Zuko disappeared for a few seconds in which Sokka flew away on Appa. When Zuko returned he had their pillows and blankets in his arms. They set them out and lay stargazing throughout the night. They returned to their room as a bluish haze began appearing in the east to get at least an hour or two of sleep. When Katie did wake up, Zuko was nowhere to be seen. She got changed and forced back the urge to run to Aang and Katara's cells immediately. Instead she joined Iroh in the dining hall for breakfast. She still wasn't hungry. Her stomach was full of hot, boily guilt. But she forced down some bread slathered in butter.

"Have you ever been to the Firenation my dear?" Katie shook her head. "You are going to love it I think. Some people call it the land of eternal summer. The ocean there is bluer and the sunsets are redder than anywhere else in the world."

"It sounds beautiful."

"Oh yes. It is. And what makes it more beautiful are the loved ones waiting for us there."

"Do you have any family Iroh?"

"No. There was always some obligation in my life restraining me from settling down. But I don't regret it. My life has been just the way I wanted it to be. You never know. Maybe I will find a wrinkled old woman that will take me in when we get home." He gave Katie a small wink and she smiled. When she forced down as much food as she could, Katie stood up and set out to get down to the holding cells.

"Where are you going?" Zuko asked when the two hallways they were taking converged.

"Oh, um. To see the prisoners." Katie said with a nonchalant shrug.

"I don't know if I want you down there anymore. It will only bring pain to grow attached to them." Zuko said, slightly uneasily.

"I just want to help the girl. She's having a personal problem that can't be too comfortable from a prison cell." Katie said. She had come up with this alibi that morning.

"What kind of problem?"

"A woman problem that you don't need to know the details of. Trust me." She said. Zuko nodded but still stood in her path stewing over the problem of letting her go down there and possibly forming a friendship with the prisoners. Finally he let out a defeated sigh.

"Alright. But remember what I said. Don't. Grow. Attached." Katie kissed his cheek and continued on to the cell. The guard gave her a curt nod when she entered and Katie gave him her friendliest smile.

"How's your monthly bleeding cycle Katara?" Katie asked sympathetically, giving Katara a wink that she should play along. "Are you horribly crampy or tired?"

"Not much worse than usual, but I've been gushing like a geyser." Katara said catching on quickly. As could be predicted, the guard started coughing uncomfortably and moved out of hearing distance. Aang looked back and forth between the two girls in confusion.

"You're bleeding? Where?" they both laughed at his innocence.

"I'll tell you when you're older." Katie said quietly. She lowered her voice even more. "Sokka is alright. He's flying somewhere around here out of sight, but we should come up with a plan soon before he gets spotted."

"We'll have to discuss it between ourselves. Can you come back later today?" Katara asked.

"I don't know. Zuko's getting suspicious as it is and I really feel uncomfortable about going behind his back like this."

"Just try to do your best. We'll come up with something in the meantime." Katara murmured. Katie nodded and turned to leave.

"Yes, I'll be back with some clean towels later. All I can tell you is to take a nap lying on your stomach to get rid of the cramps. That always helps me." Katie said over her shoulder as she disappeared.

"Seriously. What are you guys talking about?" Aang asked.

* * *

Eh, I couldn't help it. Sorry to any guys out there that had to read that conversation, but I laugh at the expressions I'm picturing on your faces. Please review. As for me, I'm so stuffed with cotton candy and hotdogs that my iron stomach is beginning to corrode and I may have to go toss the lunchmonkeys. Please review! 


	17. surprise surprise

Okay, I swear that my house is haunted. I've had all kinds of weird experiences where I've seen things at the foot of my bed, felt someone rub my arm and sometimes I can feel really cold breath on my face when I'm falling asleep. Now twenty minutes ago I felt someones fingertips on my shoulder as I was typing this chapter. Creepy, I know. I'm one of those people that totally believes in ghosts, but I don't really believe in aliens. I believe there are people living much like we are in distant galaxies up by Polaris, but I don't think they've managed to span the distance between our worlds. I also think that bigfoot is actually Cain from the bible because he was cursed to walk the earth forever as an outcast. Anyways, I don't really feel comfortable with how this chapter starts out, but I don't quite now how to fix it to make it better, so ya get it as it is.

**Katara183: **Oh! The Zipper is just about my favorite ride. I went on it with my brother Dusty a while back and we managed to get our cage to spin eight times as we plummeted. It was so freakin awesome! Anyways, September 23? Really? YAYNESS!

**Plutobaby494: **I actually don't know many twelve-year-olds that know about female monthly cycles.

**O-dragon: **I actually didn't ask my mom, I just kinda put myself in that situation and thought about how I would feel if I had just had my first child. I'm glad you liked it. By the way, your story rocks. I'm going to read the next chapter in just a few minutes and I hope you don't mind if I do some shameless advertising on your behalf after I finish these shoutouts.

**Zukoscute2: **here it IS IS IS!

**Khazia: **That is a weird dreams. I'm surprised. Usually I have real doozies of dreams every night, but I haven't been able to remember any of them except the one you were in. And yes, you can never trust carnies. I spent almost fifteen bucks last year trying to win this stupid bottle game. Then i did a dart throwing game before that but I think they did something to the darts because they were completely out of balance and wouldn't throw straight.

**Darklight4ever: **Well, say hi to your kitty for me and give her a squeeze.

**ZukoPunk: **Once again I'm very sorry to hear about your mom. The only advice I can give you is to put her out of your mind. All that thinking about her will do is cause more pain and if she's really as bad as she sounds then she's just not worth that pain, hun.

Okay, here is some shameless advertising for O-dragon's story. She's absolutely fabulous and just posted a story called 'One Night'. You should all read it because it's pretty nifty. And if anybody else wants me to advertise your stories, just let me know. I ain't shy!

* * *

"Psst. Miss Lin. Is prince Zuko with you?" Katie jumped and glanced at the door to her right. It was barely cracked open and she could see Iroh's brown eye peeking out at her. 

"Um…no." She said looking around to be sure.

"Then could you come here for a second? I need your opinion." Katie looked around once more before slipping into the room. The room really wasn't much more than a closet housing spare armor and weapons.

"So, what do you need?" Iroh was grinning like a naughty child.

"I was wondering if Zuko has told you what a special day tomorrow is?" Iroh said fiddling with his fingernails casually.

"Um, it's Sunday."

"Oh, it's not just any Sunday. It's August twenty-eighth." Iroh said spreading his hands.

"I'm afraid I'm not following you." Katie said slowly, raising an eyebrow.

"Tomorrow Zuko turns seventeen."

"Holy crap! You're kidding me!" She said, a grin spread across her face identical to Iroh's.

"No, I'm not. But this is where your opinion comes in. Normally he wouldn't allow us to throw him a celebration. But under present circumstances, I don't think he would put up too much of a fuss."

"I guess it just depends on the celebration."

"I wasn't thinking of anything much. Perhaps another music night with merely more food."

"YES!"

"Well, I'm glad you agree." He chuckled. "But I want to get the dining hall ready, so I will be relying on you to keep the prince occupied all day tomorrow."

"Yeah, no problem."

"Very good. Then it's settled. But the prince cannot know until tomorrow night."

"What time tomorrow?"

"Just before sunset." Katie nodded and they both left the closet walking up to eat lunch with the rest of the crew.

"So how are the prisoners faring today?" Zuko asked when Katie sat down next to him.

"All right. I feel sorry for Katara though. I need to bring her some necessary supplies later today."

"Katie, I'm trying to eat!" Zuko said dropping the chicken leg he was about to take a bite out of.

"Sorry." She said grinning into her cup. She took a sip and immediately spat it back out. She looked into her cup with disgust. Someone had replaced her water with rum. Several soldiers around her began cracking up. She glared at all of them and turned to Zuko who was grinning as well. "Yeah yeah. Very funny. Now where's my water?" One of the culprits pushed her original cup back over to her. Katie promptly threw it in his face causing his buddies to burst with fresh mirth.

"Well you deserved it chum." One of them said giving him a hearty pat on the back. Katie grinned and held out a hand to the sopping soldier.

"Truce?" She asked. The soldier's face melted into a grin and he shook her hand.

"Yes, truce." Katie excused herself to go get a few things for Katara. She had an idea forming in her head since Iroh had mentioned a party the next night. She bee lined to her and Zuko's room to grab some towels to keep up pretences. As she rummaged through a drawer she heard the door open behind her. She looked up as Zuko walked past her and opened a drawer by his mattress. He pulled out a necklace. It was very simple, just a black ribbon with a silver pendant.

"Here. Give this to the girl as well." He said handing the necklace over to her. Katie took the necklace and hugged him tightly.

"I believe there's hope for you yet my prince." She murmured. Zuko gave her a confused look when they pulled apart, but Katie had already hurried off to the prison block.

* * *

"Let's spend the day together." Katie said to Zuko over her changing screen the next morning. Zuko hadn't bothered with putting on his armor today but instead pulled on his red, sleeveless shirt. 

"We spend every day together." Zuko said pulling his hair down and retying it.

"No, I mean really spend it together without anyone else around. Lately I've been feeling like I hardly get to see you." Katie said synching her belt and stepping out from behind the screen.

"Well I can't think of anywhere we could be alone on this ship."

"There's always the training deck. You could try teaching me to fight again."

"You aren't up to something are you?"

"No. I just want us to get to know each other better while we have the chance. Once we get to the Firenation you're going to be ripped in every direction. I'll probably never see you again."

"Of course you'll see me again. I'll make sure of it." Zuko said laughing.

"Still. I think we should spend the day together. Just for the fun of it."

"Okay, we'll spend the day together."

"Great. I'll get some food. Meet me up on the training deck in ten minutes." Katie said with a smile. She hurried down to the mess hall for enough food to last them the day. She made a quick stop in their room to grab her sketchbook and some stuff to read in case they decided to have a lesson today and met Zuko on the training deck.

"So. What do you want to do?" Zuko asked, slightly uncertain.

"I want you to know who I am. I know almost everything about you, but you've been really patient about me being so mysterious for so long. So ask me whatever you want to know." Zuko pursed his lips and tried to think of something. There were so many questions he had wanted to ask her, but he didn't know where to start. He glanced down at the sketchbook beneath her arm and decided it was as good a place as any to start.

"Will you tell me about the pictures in your book?" Katie smiled and nodded. They lay down on their stomachs on the floor and Katie opened to the first page.

"These are my nieces and nephews. That's Connor, Seth, Bowen, Nikki, Brinn, Alex, Irelind, and Skylar." She went to the next page, which had a picture of a man with short dark hair and a goatee. "This is my brother, Tony. I've always been closer to him than any of my other siblings even though there's a ten year difference between us." She went on to the next page explaining her other brothers, Blair (A/N: I know I said earlier his name is Blaine, I did that because I didn't think I would be using their real names but changed my mind.) and Dusty. She didn't really have any drawings of her sister though because she had to deal with her so much already she had never wanted to draw her. There were a few more individual pictures of various nieces and nephews. There was a rough sketch of her parents. Then there was a drawing of three strange creatures that Zuko had never seen before. "These are my horses. This darker one is my Kai. In real life she's almost blood red. The next one is Mama. She used to be brown, but she's been turning white so right now she's just kinda pinkish. And the third one is the white nag. She's really old and a pain."

"And you ride these?"

"When I have the chance I do." They went through some sketches of her friends, there was one of a dragon and then there were a few pictures of some boys. Katie giggled at these and tried to skip over them without an explanation.

"I thought the whole point of this was for us to get to know each other better. I think that includes telling me about these." Zuko said grinning and turning back the pages.

"Well, these were just some goofy guys I met at a leadership conference. They were showing off for me and a few friends so I asked them to let me sketch them."

"And…?" Zuko said nudging her arm. Katie blushed a little.

"And…I ended up dating one of them throughout the weekend. But then I found out he was younger than me so I dumped him." Katie said turning the page quickly.

"I'm younger than you." Zuko said frowning slightly.

"Yeah, by like seven months. This guy was two years younger than me. Plus he lived across the country, and he was a bad kisser."

"Oh really? Have you kissed all of the boys drawn in your book?" He asked cocking an eyebrow.

"Of course not! I may have wanted to at some point or another, but besides you there have only been three guys that I've ever willingly kissed."

"Do tell." Zuko said. Katie laughed awkwardly. "I'm serious. I want to know what I'm up against." He said giving her another nudge.

"Fine fine." She skimmed through the pages until she found a sketch of a boy with a square jaw, light brown goatee and eyes that had been colored in with a blue pencil. "That's Shawn. I dated him all of last year. He placed second in his weight division in wrestling last season. But we ended up just drifting apart at the end of the school year." She said with a shrug.

"And the third?" Zuko asked glaring at the face. Katie flipped a few more pages to a picture of a guy with a bowl cut hairstyle and a few dark freckles spread over his cheeks.

"This is Max. He was my first crush. We were neighbors and best friends when we were younger until he moved away. We hooked up two summers ago when he visited his grandma for the holidays. But we broke it off because he lives so far away and because I began dating Shawn."

"And were they good kissers?"

"I'll never tell." Katie said grinning as she went back to various pictures of her house and the pond in her hay field, and her neighbor's Clydesdales. Zuko seemed very curious about all of the other boys she had drawn in. Most were actors she liked or friends from work or school. Then they came to one that Katie had only just started of Zuko standing in a moonlit room without a shirt on. Katie snapped her book shut before he caught more than a glimpse and announced that they had looked at enough. Zuko grinned evilly and wrestled the book out of her hands and opened to the page. He studied it closely, pursing his lips skeptically.

"I'm not that skinny!" he announced. Katie grabbed the book away blushing furiously. "If you need me to, I'll pose anytime you want." Zuko said giving her a wink. Katie shoved playfully and sat up. Now that the ice was broken, Zuko began asking her every question that had ever popped into his mind and Katie answered them all while not quite explaining the fact that she was from a different world. They talked until noon, then they broke out a small lunch and began a reading lesson which didn't last for too long. Zuko began training her once more in self-defense. They took almost the entire rest of the day punching and kicking at each other, only pausing when Zuko would adjust her posture.

"What time is it do you think?" Katie asked panting for breath and wiping sweat from her eyes. Zuko opened a porthole and glanced outside.

"It's sunset!" He said sounding shocked at how fast the day had gone by.

"We should go up for dinner. I bet Iroh's been freaking out." Katie said lacing her arm through his. They dropped their stuff off in their room and changed into clean clothes before finally entering the mess hall. Zuko froze when he stepped through the doorway. All the soldiers in the room cheered and raised various bottles in salute to Zuko.

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY NEPHEW!" Iroh yelled standing on top of a table. The entire room chorused in a HAPPY BIRTHDAY and began cheering again.

"Did you have anything to do with this?" Zuko asked, turning to Katie.

"Maaaaaybe." She said scratching her chin. She smiled and pulled him deeper into the room. Iroh plopped one of his ridiculous hats on Zuko's head and somewhere in the midst of the soldiers, someone began playing a lively tune on some sort of brass instrument. Music night number two went on even louder than the first. Katie had refrained from singing or playing anything that night. Instead she stood up and taught the soldiers the only square dance she knew. They joined in enthusiastically, clapping and stamping their feet as loudly as they could.

* * *

"Do you hear that?" Aang whispered to Katara. She strained her ears and certainly enough, two floors above their head they could hear the sound of people stomping in unison. 

"Yeah, that's the signal." Katara whispered glancing over at their current guard. He didn't look too pleased to be missing the festivities and was waiting anxiously for someone to come and relieve him of duty. She pulled a small vial of water from her pocket and pulled away the cork. She moved the water with her hand to fill the gaps in the keyhole. She did a complicated hand motion and the water froze. The expansion caused the locking mechanisms to crack and the cell swung open. To her right, Aang had done the exact same thing. The guard sat up straight at the sound of the cell doors swinging open, but he wasn't ready when the avatar slammed him against the wall with a well-guided air current. The guard sank to the floor, unconscious.

"Hurry." Katara whispered running to the exit. They crept up the flights of stairs trying to always keep some distance between themselves and the stomping sounds of the line dancing firenation.

* * *

It was really amazing how contagious a silly little line dance could get. The soldiers just didn't seem to want to stop. The only one still not joining in was Zuko who was lounging on a cushion, grinning at this new form of entertainment. Katie kept throwing him glances and nods to get him to join them, but he would only smile wider and shake his head. 

"Come on Zuko. You're always going to regret it later!" Katie said as she led the men into another set of grapevines.

"I'll try to find a way to live with myself." He hollered over the heavy stomps. They went through the entire routine four more times until Katie was facing Zuko again. She had barely begun sliding forwards twice when she noticed a figure standing in the doorway. Her blood chilled as she gazed into the face of Admiral Zhao.

* * *

I kinda didn't want to stop here, but the chapter is so friggen long already and I can feel some Carpel Tunnel (spelling?) coming on. Hee hee. Can you imagine an entire fleet of Firenation soldiers doing the _boot scoot boogie? _If not before, you can now! Please review. 


	18. Feh

Oh I'm so excited. We got my Mama horse bred a few months back but haven't been able to tell if she's pregnant yet. But she's been really moody, so moody in fact thatKai and the Nag have actually been afraid of her so I'm pretty sure there's a baby kickin' around in there. YAY! Hmm, I've managed to avoid going to work this week, but with gas prices springing out the Yin Yang I don't think I can put it off for much longer. Grrrrrrr.

**Katara183: **I will definitely advertise your story! And I'm really sorry to hear about your aunt Connie. Now, about clowns. I think they are the epitomy of evil. Just kidding, I don't mind them too much unless their name is Ronald McDonald. I know that he's brainwashing the masses and can prove it if only I could get a hold of a voice analyzer.

**Plutobaby494: **Nope, he's not. The obsessive freak.

**Lovergal1227: **We shall see just _who _helps the avatar.

**Zukoscute2: **Gaaaah! I'm sorry! This is me getting my lazy butt in gear so you can read this chapter.

**O-dragon: **Line dancing is a big thing here. I went to a dance a while back and there wasn't even country music playing, but we all just fell into synch and it was a blast. Feel free to advertise my story! I lurv publicity. And I'm glad you're checking out my other story. It's been dead for a while. I actually had no idea that Kai really meant 'little dragon'. It's just my horse's name (Actually it's Kakaia, after the greek goddess of strife, but I call her Kai).

**Athenera: **(rocking back and forth in the fetal position in a dark corner while crying) I'll update! I promise! Just don't hurt me anymore! Just kidding. Glad you likey.

**xXFishbonesssXx: **Yay! I love seeing new names on my review page. You like me! You really like me! I'll try to make you proud.

Kay everyone. Don't forget to check out and review Katara183's story; Waterbender in the Earth kingdom. C'est tres manufique.

Now, I hope you like this chapter. I've been writing off and on all day so I'm not all to certain that it all fits together.

* * *

Zuko saw the blood drain from Katie's face and whipped around to see what had given her such a fright. Gradually the soldiers ceased dancing and all turned to stare at Admiral Zhao.

"I must say that this has to be just about the most amusing thing I've ever seen." He sneered. "And such professional conduct." Zuko pulled the silly hat off his head, a slight blush appearing on his cheeks.

"You didn't have permission to board my ship Admiral." Zhao had been gazing at Katie, his expression unreadable.

"On the contrary young prince. This vessel is growing dangerously close to the Firenation border. I merely wanted to make sure that you knew of this so you aren't accidentally arrested."

"Yes. I know where we are and what direction we are going Zhao. Now get off my ship before I escort you by force."

"I'm afraid I can't allow you to pass Zuko. That is, unless you give me evidence that you have the right to enter Firenation waters." Zuko froze. He thought hard of some story to tell the man, but the only reasonable explanation was the truth.

"I have captured the avatar and am bringing him to my father." He said lifting his chin regally into the air.

"That is wonderful, prince Zuko. But, of course, I will need to see physical proof that the avatar is in your possession before I can allow you to pass." Zhao said in a voice of pure silk. Zuko clenched his jaw.

"Very well. You will come without any of your soldiers, but I will bring five of mine." Zuko motioned to the five nearest soldiers. Before he left he turned to Katie. "Stay with my uncle. Do not leave his side under any circumstances." Katie nodded and Zuko left the room with Zhao at his side.

* * *

Aang and Katara had frozen when the rhythmic sounds of stomping suddenly stopped. They ducked into a shadow and strained their ears for any sound of movement.

"I think we're still okay." Katara said, shoving herself away from the wall. They crept along the passageway more quietly than before. Pausing every few feet. Each hallway seemed to stretch in front of them and in their minds it felt as though it took them an hour just to span the distance of one hallway. They both froze once more when they heard the sounds of voices that grew steadily nearer. They twisted their heads trying to decipher with way they were coming from, but the voices echoed and reverberated off the steel panels making this feat impossible.

* * *

"I can see that you still have that slave girl prince Zuko. I wonder why?"

"I've grown fond of her." Zuko said with a shrug. "I've set her free and she is a guest on my ship."

"A _guest_? Really Zuko, you shouldn't fool yourself. Do you really think that a lovely young girl would purposely stay with you when you are as deformed as you are?" Zhao scoffed. Something inside him snapped and Zuko whipped around, grabbing Zhao's neck and pinning him to the wall. Zuko drew back a fist to punch the man when he caught a movement out of the corner of his eye. He paused, turning his head to try and find what he had seen, but the hall was dimly lit with flickering lamps. There was a small dark alcove halfway down the hall that Zuko knew of. The movement had come from near there. Zuko let go of Zhao and began creeping towards the alcove. When he got within three feet of it a blur of yellow and orange jumped out in front of him and a gust of wind picked him up off his feet throwing him backwards into his soldiers and Zhao.

"SOUND THE ALARM! THE AVATAR IS ESCAPING!" The prince yelled as he scrambled to his feet. He set off down the hallway at a run, he could hear Zhao's footsteps right behind him. They came to a place where another hallway branched out. Zhao took the smaller hallway while Zuko continued down the main one. Zuko turned a corner and caught a glimpse of blue fabric whip around the next corner in the distance. Grinning at himself the prince pumped his arms and legs harder.

* * *

Aang could see stairs ahead of them leading upwards. That was a really good thing. He took the steps three at a time and threw the door open. He had only taken a few more steps when something plowed him into a wall. His head hit with a dull crack and the lights went out. Katara shrieked when she saw Aang drop like a rock. Zuko stood over the avatar trying to catch his breath. He made a move towards Katara, but paused. In the distance the harsh tones of Zhao's voice could be heard. Zuko swallowed heavily, then bent down to pick up the unconscious avatar.

"Come on." He muttered to Katara and continued in the direction of the main deck. Katara froze for a second, but she couldn't leave Aang alone with the prince. Zuko took several secret passageways throughout the ship to avoid the others and after a half an hour they could see starlight from the hatch above them. Zuko wordlessly put Aang down and stepped out on deck. The place was crawling with soldiers and they all snapped to attention when they saw Zuko.

"What do you think you're doing up here? The avatar is loose down below. Go help in the search NOW!" The men scurried to do his bidding. When he was sure that they were all out of sight he returned to Aang and Katara. He picked Aang up once more and stepped back onto the deck. There was a low groan from the starboard bow.

"Appa!" Katara cried happily as the giant bison lifted itself to hover next to the ship. Sokka leapt from the saddle and took a defensive stance at the sight of Aang in Zuko's arms. Zuko wordlessly handed Aang over to Sokka.

"Now get out of here. Quickly!" Zuko hissed and disappeared back down below. Sokka exchanged glances with Katara, but obediently they both climbed into the saddle and soared away.

* * *

Zuko pretended to continue searching well into the early hours of dawn. But of course, the avatar could not be found.

"Admiral. The avatar is obviously no longer on my ship. Now I'm asking you respectfully to remove your men so I can try and find his trail." Zuko said rubbing his aching eyes. Zhao twisted around and glared at the prince. His eyes were bloodshot and some of his hair had come undone and was now flying wildly around him.

"I know you had something to do with his escape _prince _Zuko. I will see you executed if it's the last thing I do." Zhao turned and called his men back. Within an hour they had all returned to their ship and shoved off.

"Did you find them?" Katie asked anxiously when Zuko returned to the mess hall.

"They're long gone by now." Zuko said with a sigh. "Come on. We all need some sleep." He wrapped an arm around Katie and half led, half leaned on her for support the entire distance to their room. The room itself looked as though it had been ransacked. Every possible place the avatar could have hidden had been searched and researched. Zuko collapsed on his mattress but Katie felt as though she couldn't hold still for more than three seconds at a time. So she began restoring order to the mess.

"I let them go." Zuko murmured.

"Sorry, what'd you say?" Katie asked as she folded one of his shirts.

"I let the avatar go. I had him in my grasp and I just couldn't do it. I just couldn't put him back in that cell and watch what my father has in store for him." Zuko sat up and rubbed his hands over his face. "How can I be so weak? I don't deserve to have my honor restored, nor my crown. I can't even find the strength to hold on to a twelve year old boy."

"Zuko, you are not weak. Letting the avatar go is the most honorable thing I've ever seen you do. I don't know what you've been told throughout your life, but honor is not something that can just be taken away." Katie said sitting down next to him and wrapping an arm around his shoulders. Zuko just snorted at her. "Zuko, do you enjoy this war?"

"What?"

"Do you enjoy war? Do you like the violence and the pain and the bloodshed?"

"Of course not! I'm not sick."

"Well men like Zhao…and your father. They do like all of that. They're so pumped full of pride and greed that they'll do whatever it takes to get what they want. If anybody has no honor, it's them."

"My father is the lord of a great and powerful nation. A nation that has been bringing order to the world for the past three generations…" Zuko began indignantly, pulling away from her touch.

"That doesn't make him a good man Zuko. And from what I've seen of this world, the Firenation has been bringing the exact opposite of order. It's bringing destruction and fear and unnecessary death."

"You don't know what you're talking about." Zuko said angrily, lying down and rolling onto his side so that his back was to her.

"Just think about what I've said Zuko." She said with a sigh and sank down onto her own bed.

* * *

Katie slept for about five hours. When she woke up there was no sign of Zuko anywhere in the room. Katie grabbed the stress balls the doctor had given her and rolled them around in her hand. At first the muscles of her bicep protested and seized up, but gradually the muscles loosened and Katie got up to finish cleaning the room. There was still no sign of Zuko an hour later. Katie walked down the hall and checked the mess hall, but it was deserted. So was Iroh's room and the training deck. Katie walked up to the helm room and found Zuko and Iroh there. Iroh greeted her with a smile, but Zuko didn't acknowledge her existence at all.

"How are you holding up after such a long night?" Iroh asked moving a tile across the Pi Sho board and watching the affect it had on his opponent.

"I'm alright." She walked up beside Zuko and just stood next to him but he continued to ignore her. She stepped a little closer, but still he pretended she wasn't there. Finally she stood in front of him so there was only a couple of inches distance between them.

"WHAT!" he cried completely annoyed.

"Can I talk to you for a second? Outside?"

"I'm busy right now. Whatever it is will have to wait." Zuko said coldly and resumed staring out at the horizon. Katie made a little grunting noise and grabbed the front of his armor, pulling him after her out of the room.

"Two pieces says he comes back smiling." Iroh said slapping the money on the table. The lieutenant slapped the same amount down next to it.

"You're on." He said with a grin and several others joined in on the bet as well.

* * *

"Look Zuko. I'm really sorry if what I said early offended you. But you have to understand that I come from a different side of the spectrum and have a different view on these things." Katie said once they were outside. Zuko leaned against the railing and heaved a sigh, glaring at the water.

"I'm not mad at you because I don't agree with you. I'm mad because you're right. And I really don't want you to be right about my father."

"Zuko. That man isn't you father. Sure he may be the one responsible for your birth, but a father is someone who cares about you and your safety. Who loves you. You're uncle is what a good father is."

"You just don't understand. My father is what I've always been told that I should aspire to be. I've been striving to be exactly like him. And after reading about him before my mother's death I had forgotten what kind of man he is now. I tried shoving the war and my scar and my memories of him aside for that man written in my mother's diary." Zuko said turning around and half-sitting on the railing.

"Zuko. You're father has changed since those days. He may have been someone to look up to before, but now he's so consumed with grief and rage that it's really not an option anymore. You shouldn't strive to be like him because you can be so much better. You can bring peace to the world and have the humility to say that the Firenation has been wrong and help the other nations rebuild. You could be loved and respected instead of hated and feared like he is. You're just so much a better person than your father. Zhao can see that and that's got him scared that the cushy life he has swimming in blood could end with you taking the throne." She wrapped her arms around his neck and reluctantly he put his around her waist pulling her closer.

"You know, my life was a lot less complex before you showed up." He murmured. She smiled and kissed him.

* * *

"Oh! She kissed him! That's five for me!" The helmsman said grabbing his money from the table then joining the others at pressing their noses against the widow to watch the proceedings.

* * *

"Thanks Katie." Zuko muttered. He hugged her for a second and briefly thought he heard cheers on the wind but ignored it. They pulled away from the railing and walked back into the helm room. Zuko smiled around at everyone they all groaned. His uncle, however, let out a triumphant whoop and collected a pile of money from the table.

* * *

That Iroh's a gamblin' man! Please review


	19. Oh oh oh! Mounting excitement!

Hm, has anyone ever noticed that the head monk from 'the storm' has a unibrow? I thought it was hilarious when I really looked at the guy. Someone should give hims some tweezers. Also I read somewhere on the internet that the waterbender in the intro is a character that's going to be introduced later on. So I slow-motioned throught the introduction a few times and I noticed that the firebender kinda looks like a girl. Do you think it could be Zula? I just CAN'T WAIT FOR SEPTEMBER 23! That's when they start showing the new episodes for anybody who doesn't know. I just found out myself last week. YAY! Wow, there's a bunch of new names on my review board. Thanx for reviewing and welcome!

**xXfissshbonesssXx: **I feel really bad because last night I was in a really big hurry and wasn't able to give you a proper shoutout. I'm really glad you like my story and thank you for all of your compliments. I did not write the song that my character sang, it's called _One Tin Soldier _and I learned it at camp several years ago. I was surprised that a bunch of my reviewers knew it, I thought it was just a mormon thing.

**Plutobaby494: **Iroh rocks!

**Lovergal1227: **Yes, Zhao should die. Maybe I'll have Zuko kill him later. Hmm, that's a thought. I'm really glad you liked the twist.

**Zukoscute2: **Iroh just seems like a gamblin' man (shrug).

**Starchic: **Oh, don't worry. there's plenty more story.

**Titan09: **Wow, what a coincidence (the whole brother thing). I enjoyed the birthday song! I will totally advertise. I might even get a poll type thing going if you really want me to see how many people would be interested in your story. I know I deffinately would. I love Hellboy. Ron Perlman is hot as a 6'7" demon. And I don't get tired of doing shoutouts. I have fun writing them and I figure if people are nice enough to drop me a review, I should be nice enough to acknowledge that review.

**O-dragon: **I enyoyed writing that twist. Now prepare yourself for a real whopper of a twist and big major romance thingy! I have seen brothers Grimm and I LOVED it. I'll just try not to feed my horse icky mind control spiders. So you're from Texas? That's cool. I used to have a penpal from Bloomburg or Bloomsburg. One of those. Do you know where that is?

**Youko Artemis: **I've been figuring that it's a poltergeist or something like that. I've always been able to sense a male presence, so I've just been calling it Jeffrey since about fourth grade. I don't think I'll try and contanct it though. I've only just gotten to where I'm comfortable with it around. Thanx for your review.

**Athenera: **I forgive you. By the way. this chapter is a steamy one. I hope you like it.

_**Advertisments:**_

_Alright, how would all ya'll like to read a story about Liz Sherman (the fire girl from Hellboy) as a teenager who is traveling to different worlds as she tries to harness her flame powers. On her course is a certain avatar world and a certain firebending hotty. Because my friend Titan09 over there has this great idea for a story but wants some feedback on whether or not ya'll would like to read it. Go ahead and give your answer to me in a review and I'll let Titan09 know._

_And don't forget to read and review O-dragon's story, One night. Or Katara183's story, Waterbender in the Earth Kingdom._

**A/N: **This chapter has an even more major twist than the last one, and it's kinda steamy. So if there are young eyes in the room or if you just don't like that kinda stuff, I've once again put little **&& **things around said section of text. Enjoy.

* * *

Katie took a deep breath, pulling her bowstring back and sighting along the arrow. Her goal was in sight. She steadied herself, taking in another deep breath. Then she let go. There was a hiss and a thump as it hit the target and men began cheering all around her. The arrow quivered where it had struck the target, a millimeter closer to the center than her opponent's. Katie laughed and did a little victory dance. She held a hand up to one of the nearest soldiers who merely looked at her hand stupidly. 

"Come on. Slap my hand."

"Why?"

"Just do it. It's called 'five' and it's a congratulations kinda thing." The soldier gently tapped his hand against hers. "We'll work on that later."

"Five more pieces says she can't make a closer shot!" Her opponent said holding up his money. Iroh, who had been Katie's 'sponsor' stepped up behind her and rubbed her shoulders as though she were a pro boxer.

"What do you think? Are you up for another round miss Lin?"

"Psssh, it's not my money." Katie said pulling another arrow from the quiver at her waist and notching it to her string. She pulled the string back and sighted along the shaft again. She had been aiming at the center for the last three shots, but she tended to shift her bow slightly as she released so she aimed a little more to the right and let her fly. The arrow hit the target almost exactly in its center. Katie let out a whoop and punched the air. "Kay man, this is your chance to redeem yourself." She said holding her hand back up to the soldier. He slapped it hard. "Now THAT'S what I'm talking about." Katie said making a fist. The man copied it and she knocked knuckles with him as well.

"It's all well and good for a solitary target. How about something more challenging." The opponent said nodding towards a flock of seagulls flying towards them. Katie bit her lip calculating the shot. She had never hit anything moving that was smaller than a deer, let alone over this much distance and her injured arm was really beginning to burn from the strain.

"Come now miss Lin. Show this young man the error in his judgment." Iroh said giving her an encouraging thump on the shoulder.

"Well, here goes nuthin'" She said pulling out an arrow. She made sure it was as straight as possible before notching it on her bowstring. She began pulling it back but her arm gave her a twinge of pain that she wasn't ready for. She lowered her bow once more waving her arm to loosen it up a bit before she raised it again and took aim. The seagulls flew closer and closer to the ship, just off the port side. Katie picked a bird, judged its speed and aimed just ahead of it. She released. The arrow hissed through the air and missed the bird by six inches. There was a collective groan from the crowd. Katie shrugged. "Eh, can't win them all."

"That was amazing though." Iroh said happily as he handed over a few coins. "A bit more practice and I bet I can wring every copper piece from these men." Katie laughed.

"You know, gambling is a very bad thing to do." Katie said lacing her arm in his and leading the way back to the mess hall for supper.

"Yes, but it's what's keeping me young and it buys the hats for music night." Iroh said counting out his earnings of the day. He handed her a handful of silver coins, "Here my dear. I think you've earned it."

"No thanks. You need it for the hats." Katie said handing it back. Zuko joined them at the dining table a short time later.

"I was watching you from the helm room. That was some good shooting." He said helping himself to a portion of steaming fish.

"And I probably could have made that last shot if it weren't for you." Katie said in mock anger.

"Why? What did I do?"

FLASHBACK TO THE NIGHT BEFORE

Katie had always prided herself in sleeping like the dead at night. Ever since she was younger, nothing could wake her up. Whether it was gale force winds while sleeping in a tent or falling from the top bunk bed when she was three. She had always slept through it all. But one thing always woke her up from her hibernation. And that something was the sound of snoring.

"Zuko, shut your face!" She grumbled at him. He didn't stir so she reached across the distance between their beds and nudged him in the butt with her toe. "Zuko. You freak of nature, roll over!" The snoring ceased for a second or two as Zuko readjusted himself in his sleep but continued again almost instantly. Katie rolled off the bed and crawled over to him. She leaned over and plugged his nose. He struggled for breath for a second or two before finally opening his mouth and making a sound like a greased pig. Katie giggled and leaned close to his ear.

"Zuko." She said quietly. "Zuko, where's the apple?" This was always something she and her friends would do to get people to talk in their sleep. It usually worked too. "Zuko my love. I need you to tell my where the apple is. Where's the apple Zuko?" He made a grumbling sound but nothing more.

"What did you say Zuko? Please, I need to know where the apple is. Where's the apple Zuko?"

"It's in the kitchen." She managed to distinguish from another set of grumbling.

"I'm hungry Zuko, could you get the apple for me?" Zuko made another grumbling sound and reached his hand over the side of his bed and grabbed a rolled up sock, which he shoved into her hands. Katie could barely hold back her laughter. "Thank you Zuko. Now go back to sleep and no more snoring. Okay?" He made a noise and buried his face into his pillow. Katie crawled back to her own mattress and lay down to go back to sleep. But just when she got comfortable Zuko began snoring again.

END FLASHBACK 

"I felt like I was going to rip my hair out after two hours of it. Finally I just plugged you up with the sock and you shut right up." Katie said with a grin. Iroh was chuckling to himself and Zuko was glaring at both of them.

"I don't snore!" He said indignantly.

"Oh yeah, sure. And the Queen of England doesn't fart." Katie said sarcastically, cutting into her own portion of fish. She sniffed it to make sure it wasn't poisoned with red pepper and took a bite. Zuko was still glaring at her so she crossed her eyes at him. He couldn't help but smile at this.

"Just you wait. I'm going to dig something up on you." He said pointing a chopstick at her threateningly.

"Like what? I'm completely aware of my faults, bub."

"I don't know. But one of these days I will find something." He said and took a bite of food.

* * *

Katie laid on her stomach that night doodling on a page of her sketchbook. Zuko sat on his bed and took off his boots. 

"Two months." He said softly.

"Hmm?"

"It's been two months since you appeared out of nowhere."

"Really? Already? Wow, time flies." Katie said erasing a line she didn't like. She looked up to watch Zuko peel his shirt off, her favorite part of the day. He walked over to the window to draw the curtains when Katie told him to stop. "Wait. Don't move a muscle!" She sat up so she could get a better view of him and turned back to the half done drawing of him.

"What! What's wrong?"

"Nothing. But you said you would pose for me, so just stand there for a few minutes." She sketched him as quickly as she could. She made a dotted line around the areas that were to be in shadow. She didn't want to make him stand there forever, so she decided to do all the shading later. She took a few seconds to really appreciate his looks. He had taken his hair down, so it fell gracefully around his shoulders. Once again Katie thought he looked like a vampire. "Okay. You can move now." She said five minutes later. She lay back down on her stomach to finish the details and shading. Zuko went about his nightly chores, and then came to lie down next to her. He watched her as she carefully drew in the lines on his face. After a while she felt uncomfortable with him leering over her like that so she closed her book and rolled over onto her back, rubbing her sore eyes. She pulled her hands away from her face and saw him watching her.

"What?" she asked uncomfortably. Zuko leaned down and kissed her softly.

"I love you." He murmured. Katie froze. That was a big thing to say. **&** Zuko didn't wait for a reply, but kissed her again. He shifted his body so that he was closer to her and wrapped an arm behind her back. Katie kissed him back. The kiss began gently at first, but then became a little more intense as Zuko pressed his tongue against her lips. Katie opened her mouth in response and Zuko began exploring. He leaned in closer so that his chest was pressed against hers, he pulled away from her mouth and began kissing along her jaw. Katie's heart began fluttering in her chest as he planted light kisses across her face and eyes. He shifted his weight a little more so that he was practically lying on top of her. He brought his mouth back to hers, groaning in anticipation. Katie wrapped her arms around his neck and began kissing him back. She let her hands glide over the muscles of his back and she felt his hand slowly begin to creep up her shirt. Her blood began pounding in her ears. The heat emminating from his body was intense. Her brain began spinning in euphoria.**&**

"Prince Zuko, I…oh my goodness!" Iroh walked in and froze at the sight of them.

"UNCLE!" Zuko cried lifting his head in surprise.

"I'm very sorry for my intrusion. I merely wished to speak with you prince Zuko." Iroh said as he stepped back out of the room, trying to hide a smile. He shut the door behind him and knocked gently. "Prince Zuko. May I speak with you for a second?" He called from the other side. Zuko cursed under his breath and rolled off of Katie.

"I'll be right back." He said apologetically. Katie just lay there dumbfounded at what they had almost been doing. They had gotten very close to a very bad thing.

* * *

"What is so important uncle?" Zuko demanded angrily, trying to ignore the blush creeping up his cheeks. 

"I am sorry once again prince Zuko. I just didn't expect to find the two of you in that situation. Was that your first time seducing the girl?" He asked slyly. Zuko swore again under his breath.

"Was it that obvious?"

"No. You were doing a very good job of it. That's why I asked." Zuko blushed furiously.

"Are you going to tell my what you dragged me out here for or not?"

"I wanted to tell you that we've spotted the avatar. He's changed direction and is now flying south west."

"Oh really?" He asked mildly interested. He began chewing on the inside of his cheek in deep thought. "Just tell the helmsman to stay on the avatar's trail and try to keep him within sight. Let me know if they land anywhere or if they get within range of the catapults." Iroh bowed and left to do the prince's bidding. Zuko took a deep breath and walked back into the room. Katie was standing next to the window. She'd pulled back one of the curtains and was looking out over the water. She turned when she heard the door close and lock behind Zuko. He grinned sheepishly and came up behind her, wrapping his arms around her shoulders.

"Zuko. Before you start anything, I just need to tell you that we were really pushing the line a few minutes ago."

"What line?" He asked, kissing her behind the ear. Her heart fluttered, his body was still really hot against her back.

"You know very well what line I'm talking about. I should let you know that I've made a promise to myself that I won't…you know…until after I'm married." Zuko rested his chin on her shoulder and thought for a second.

"Then let's get married."

"WHAT? Zuko, I'm not going to marry you just so we can have sex." Katie said pulling away and turning to face him.

"Then let's get married because I love you, and I have a feeling that you love me as well." He said taking her hand and kissing her knuckle.

"Oh." She said slightly taken aback. She glanced around the room in confusion. _Is he saying what I think he's saying? _She wondered to herself.

"Katie." He said lifting her face with his finger so that she was looking into his eyes. "Will you marry me?" She swallowed trying to get a good grasp of just what he was saying. In his eyes she saw true compassion and love. His gaze held her there spellbound for several seconds.

"Yes." She heard herself say. Then when the full realization dawned on her she began laughing and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Yes." She kissed him loudly and pulled away. "When?"

"How about right now? It's a good a time as any and we're both in the mood."

"There's nobody here to marry us. Doesn't there have to be an official or something?" She asked uncertainly. She knew how marriages worked in her world, but not here.

"Not if we do a handfasting." Zuko said resting his forehead against hers.

"A temporary marriage?" She asked uncertainly.

"Yes. We could be married for a year and a day or until we find someone to do a proper ceremony." Katie frowned slightly. Her entire life she had been told that when she found the right person that she should be married to him for eternity. But there wasn't a building anywhere around for such a ceremony to take place in and she was really caught up in the moment.

"Alright." She said nervously.

"I don't want to force you into anything Katie. Do you really want to do this?" Zuko asked softly. Katie took a deep breath and looked him in the face.

"Yes. Yes I do." Zuko pulled away from her and pulled a knife from a drawer. He touched the blade and it began to glow with heat. "Wait. What's that for?"

"It's all part of the ritual. It's not too late to turn back." He said, concern written across his face. Katie took a deep breath and nodded for him to continue. He placed the blade on the palm of his left hand and the sharp, heated steel cut into his flesh like paper, but Zuko didn't even flinch. He reached out and took Katie's right hand and placed the blade on her palm. She felt the skin burn and slice, but it really wasn't that bad. Zuko dropped the knife on the floor and before their blood could coagulate, he took her hand in his, pressing the cuts together. "Repeat after me." He said and began mumbling something in a different language. He paused every now and then for Katie to repeat it. It wasn't a very long ritual. It only lasted a few minutes all together. When it was over, Katie felt a little overwhelmed. So she did the thing that felt most natural, she wrapped her arms around Zuko's neck and kissed him as hard as she could.

* * *

Oh, that is like, my biggest fangirly fantasy ever. I really can't believe I'm letting people read it, but oh well. After I click the 'save changes' button there's no turning back. Please review. And don't forget to read the stories advertised. 


	20. 365 days left

Yay! I got a letter from Harvard today. Okay, it really wasn't anything much. On my ACT test there's a section that you fill out saying what colleges you're intersted in and they send your results to said college(s). So I marked Harvard, Oxford, and Queen Marie's University for laughs. The letter was just some stupid thing inviting me to an open house if I'm really intersted in attending there. Pssh, as if! Well, I started working once more today. I don't really know for sure if I'll be able to update at my current pace for much longer. The only reason this chapter is so long is because I wrote most of it yesterday. Woo hoo! I just punched out Osama!

**Athenera: **Well, at least you aren't slapping me anymore. I actually got the handfasting idea from Diana Gabaldon's _Outlander _series. It's the best book series ever even though the books are uber long. You should go out and check one out today! If you like steamy romances with hot guys in kilts, it's just the book for you.

**Starchic: **Thank you! Thank you! (accepts 'Best Chapter Ever' award and blows kisses)

**Angelthread: **Aw, thankyou.

**Plutobaby494: **I was afraid the 'Iroh walking in on them' would be cliche-ish. I'm glad you liked it!

**Lovergal1227: **Just like a baby bunny.

**Zukoscute2: **Calm down. It's fiction. Zuko is still on the market in real life ;-)

**darklight4ever: **I'm confoosed. Did you like the chapter or hate it? (Don't worry, nothing will be held against you, I value criticism.)

**Khazia: **I'm glad you liked all of those quotes. I would love to hear about your dream! I'm just weird when it comes to dreams. I want to hear them all! I actually had one last night that I remembered for a while. It made me happy! But now I can't remember what it was. It's floated from my mind. _Fly little dream! Fly and be freeeeeeee!_

**O-dragon: **Hm, I didn't think the movie was too scary, but then again I grew up in a house where all my siblings are more than 8 years older than me and I've been watching freaky shows for as long as I can remember. I should let my mom know that other people thought it was scary, otherwise she'll hurt me and say that I lied to her or something. I'll tell Titan09 that someone besides me is interested in the story. I'm surethe titan'llbe happy to hear it.

**Titan09: **So far only one person has responded to my advertisement of your story and that person would like to read it as would I. I'll read your other HB story when I have the chance, time is just really constricted for me at this precise moment. Don't worry, I won't up the rating because there are some people who wouldn't be able to read my story if I did. What does Kawaii mean. I know there's a Hawaiian island called _Kauai _because I've been there, but what is this Kawaii? And just to let you know. My mind is more than intersting. IT'S CHAOTIC GOODNESS! Squeee!

**xXFissshBonesssXx: **Oh, I just don't know what to say! I'm blushing, really I am. I'm really glad you like this story so much and I really appreciate all of your comments. I lurv long reviews, they make me feel special (the good special. Not like, 'shpeshul' special). I hope that this chapter really does rock your world!

Okay, little note. I'm doing all of my advertising at the end of chapters so that people remember actually remember them. And for all you people who didn't like the 'intenseness' of the last chapter, don't worry, that's as bad as it gets. And for all you who are like "Oh yay! I love the steamy stuff!" I'm sorry. I just have too big of a plot to writemoreand a lot of people don't want me to change the rating, so there won't be more than a little fluff here and there from here on out. Another thing! I feel like such a dip. I gave Zuko the b-day August 28 because that's the day Dante Basco's (drool) b-day is and he does the voice for Zuko. But all of this is supposed to be happening in early spring, so just pretend I didn't mess up.

* * *

Katie woke up the next morning feeling very warm and comfortable. She opened her eyes and the first thing she saw was a perfectly rounded, bare pectoral. She lifted her head and glanced up at Zuko. He was wide-awake and he grinned at her evilly. 

"Wow, last night really happened, didn't it?" She asked resting her face back on his chest. Zuko chuckled.

"Yes. Yes it did."

"And we're really married now?" She asked lifting up her right hand to see the deep cut.

"For 365 more days, yes." She frowned at the cut slightly.

"That happened really fast."

"Are you having second thoughts?" Zuko asked concernedly.

"No, I guess I'm just kinda surprised." She propped herself up on one elbow and glared at Zuko. "You're a sly fox, did you know that?"

"I thought I was Junious Something-or-another." He said grinning. Katie laughed and kissed him.

"Yeah well, all hail Caeser." She laid back down beside him and pulled her blanket up around her chest. "So how did you know that ritual? You haven't been temporarily married before, have you?"

"Actually, I have." He said running his fingertips over her bare shoulder.

"WHAT?"

"It was when I was seven." He said chuckling. "There was a little playmate that I had when I was growing up at the palace. We decided to get married one day."

"And you sliced your hand and everything?" Katie asked taken aback.

"No, we were too scared to do that. So we just picked a couple of scabs and pressed them together." Zuko said. "I remember we would go behind the stables and roll around in the straw. We thought we were being so bad." Katie giggled at the thought of seven-year-old Zuko. "But then Zula saw us kissing one day and told my father. He wasn't too happy at the thought of me falling for a commoner, even if I was just a child. So he sent me to stay with my aunt Shinja for the summer and he relocated my little friend."

"Did you ever get to see her again?"

"Yes, actually. Last year I saw her at a small Earth Kingdom town. She's married to a cobbler now and they have a small child."

"Wow, she married young."

"She was fifteen. It's common to get married at that age." Zuko said.

"Not where I come from. I really didn't expect to get married for another ten years."

"But by that age your childbearing days would be coming to an end!"

"Um, no. Childbearing days last until a woman is about forty." Katie said. She hoped he dropped the subject about having children. Their marriage had gone by quickly enough, she didn't want to think about being a mom. She looked at her hand once more. The cut was deep and red. But the heat from the blade had mostly cauterized it. "Wow, that just happened so fast." Zuko began to reply when the doorknob across the room began jiggling. Luckily the door was locked, so the intruder knocked lightly instead.

"Prince Zuko?" Iroh's voice called from the other side.

"Yes uncle?"

"The avatar has landed on a nearby island. I wonder if you would mind having a council meeting to decide our next cause of action?"

"Alright, I'm coming." Zuko threw the blankets off of himself and walked around the room trying to gather his clothes. Katie grinned evilly as she watched the muscles of his body move gracefully beneath his skin. After he had pulled on his pants and boots, he leaned down and kissed Katie before joining his uncle. "I love you." He muttered.

"I love you too." Katie said, watching the door close.

* * *

Iroh was waiting for Zuko outside his room. He couldn't help but smile when he saw how relaxed his nephew was. Zuko pulled his shirt over his head and they walked for a ways in silence. 

"So…?"

"So what?" Zuko asked tying his hair up.

"So how did you…sleep?"

"I don't think that's really any of your business uncle." Zuko said trying to hide a grin.

"Oh really?" The silence between them was heavy, grudgingly Zuko held out his left hand for his uncle to see the cut. Iroh let out a whoop of triumph. "That's twenty for me!"

"You were betting on us?" Zuko asked angrily.

"It wasn't a bet, it was an investment." Iroh said opening the door to the mess hall. Inside were the lieutenant, the helmsman and a few other officers. They all looked at Iroh expectantly. Iroh grabbed Zuko's hand and held it up for everyone to see. Two men let out cheers and the other three plunged their hands into their pockets to find the money owed. Lieutenant Ji walked up and gave Zuko a hearty thump on the back.

"It's about time prince Zuko, we were beginning to wonder about your preferences." He said, and laughter erupted behind them. Zuko shoved away his hand and tried to glare at them all, but couldn't keep the smile from his face.

"Are we going to have a council meeting or not? Because I have better things to do." More laughter and catcalls erupted at this statement. They finally settled down enough to sit on the cushions around the table and discuss the issues at hand.

"The avatar was spotted last night around at around ten o'clock. We've been able to keep him within sight and he's landed on the Eucalyptus islands. There's a reasonably sized city on the North side that we can make port in." Ji said indicating everything on a map on the table. He glanced up at the prince for his approval. The prince was frowning slightly.

"Lieutenant? Do you have family?"

"Um…Yes sir. I have a wife and three children." Zuko's frown deepened. He turned to the four other men besides his uncle.

"What about the rest of you? Do you have family as well?" They all nodded slowly.

"Well then. My orders are to be obeyed to a T. I want you to steer the ship for this port. The ship will be restocked and I will give a month's leave of action for the entire crew to travel back to the Firenation and see your families." The prince said standing up and began to leave the room.

"Sir, are you certain?" Ji asked, apprehensive to believe his ears.

"Yes, I'm more certain about this than anything right now. My uncle will go with you to make sure everyone returns to the ship at the end of the month. I will stay on the island with my wife until then." Zuko left the room. He really liked the sound of the words 'my wife'.

* * *

News spread fast on the navy ship. By the time she left the bedroom, Katie was the only one aboard that didn't know about prince Zuko's orders. But by the laughing and cheering that greeted her she knew something was up. One soldier even wrapped her in a bone breaking hug and called her an 'Angel of mercy'. She managed to find Zuko on deck and went to stand beside him. 

"Did I miss something?"

"Have you ever heard of the Eucalyptus islands, Katie? I've only been there once but it's one of the most beautiful tropical islands in the world." Zuko said wrapping an arm around her and pulling her close.

"Zuko, what's going on?" Katie asked apprehensively. Zuko grinned at her.

"It's a perfect place to spend a honeymoon."

"A honeymoon you say?" Katie asked, her interest peaked. "On a tropical island? Tell me more." She wrapped her arms around his waist as he told her what had happened during the council meeting.

"Zuko! That's wonderful!" Katie cried. She knew that the separation from their families for two years had to be unbearable for the soldiers. "But what are we supposed to do for a month?"

"I'm sure I could think of something." Zuko said giving a mischievous grin. Katie laughed and shoved him away playfully. Zuko grabbed her hands and pulled her back against his chest. "That there is going to be our home for the next month." He said pointing to a lush green island that loomed from the ocean half a mile away.

"Oh wow."

"Come on. We'll be docking in an hour. We should get our things rounded up."

* * *

"You're my husband!" Katie said unbelievably halfway through packing. 

"I know." Zuko said counting out the gold and silver they would need from his personal safe.

"It's just so weird to think about." Katie said folding a pair of Zuko's pants.

"Well it's not like our life is going to be that much different from how it was. You've been dictating my life for the last two months." He ducked out of the way as a boot came hurtling at his head.

* * *

Katie hugged Iroh tightly as they stood on the dock. She was surprised at how find she had grown of the old man. 

"I'll see you in a month's time." He said softly.

"I'm gonna miss you Iroh."

"You'll be too busy to miss me." He said with a chuckle. "And from now on, just call me uncle."

"Thank you Uncle." Katie said, smiling.

"Now," he said turning to Zuko and shaking his hand firmly, "I expect a grand niece or nephew to be in the oven by the time I come back."

"UNCLE!" Zuko cried.

"I'm just kidding prince Zuko." He laughed and pulled his nephew into a fatherly hug. "Try to get him to lighten up." He said in an undertone to Katie.

"The ship has been completely restocked sir." A soldier said walking up and giving a smart salute.

"Very good." Zuko said. "Now, get all of the men onboard and shove out." The soldier saluted again and dashed off with a smile on his face.

"Don't forget to come back for us uncle." Zuko said placing a hand on Iroh's shoulder.

"Of course not nephew. I will see you in a month."

"See ya." Katie said, throwing her bag over one shoulder and stepping away so the ship could shove off. The two stood on the dock and waved goodbye to the ship as it shrank into the distance.

"Now," Zuko said reaching out and grabbing her hand. "Let's find us a place to stay." A merchant pointed them in the direction of the inns around the city. After snubbing several questionable places, they found something that looked just like a seven dwarves cottage. The owner was a kind, grandmotherly woman named Ina (that's actually my gramma's name) that was very easily excited. She nearly busted at the seams when they told her they were newlyweds.

"Oh, I must get a decent party up and going for you tonight. My other patrons will be absolutely thrilled to hear your news!" She took them up to their room. It wasn't luxurious by any means. But it was comfortable and very clean. Zuko dropped his bag just outside the door and swept Katie up off her feet before she could step inside the room. Katie tried to kick and squirm out of his arms, laughing her head off the whole time.

"Will you relax? I'm trying to carry you across the threshold." Zuko said, making sure he bonked her head on the doorframe. Zuko dropped her unceremoniously on the bed and climbed on after her giving her an urgent kiss.

"I'll just come up for you when dinner is ready, shall I?" Ina asked placing the dropped bag against the wall.

"That'll be fine, thanks." Zuko pulled himself away from the kiss long enough to say. Ina chuckled and shut the door behind her.

* * *

Katie hummed softly to herself as she unpacked their things later that day. She opened up an armoire to hang up a shirt when she caught a glimpse of herself in the full length mirror. 

"Oh happy day, I think I've lost some weight in the last couple of months." She said twisting to get a good look at herself.

"You didn't have any weight to lose." Zuko said from the bed.

"You're only saying that because I'll hurt you otherwise." Katie said as she inspected herself. Her hair had grown at least three inches in the last two months and would no longer stand on end. Katie didn't dare try to keep her hairstyle as it used to be with the primitive scissors she had managed to find. She _had_ been keeping her bangs under control however and they fell halfway over her eyes as always. The scar on her face from Zhou's ring stood out violently, but she was glad to see it wasn't disfiguring. The scar on her arm, however, was big and nasty. She let out a sigh and put the rest of the clothes away. There was a light knock on the door and they heard Ina's squeaky voice call them down to dinner.

* * *

A loud cheer erupted from the dining room when the two came down. The dining table was lined with food and bottles of wine. Katie was immediately pulled one way by a gaggle of women, all of which were over the age of 25, while Zuko was pulled the other way by a bunch of chortling men. 

"You can have _one _drink Zuko. _Only _one!" She called over her shoulder. "And I'll be keeping an eye on you!"

Katie had never blushed more in her life than when she was around these women. They marveled at her waistline and long fingernails, then began giggling and making comments about their husbands and other things that Katie dare not repeat.

"So, when are you planning on having children my dear?" One woman asked.

"Um, probably not for a while. We haven't really even talked much about our future yet."

"Well, are you taking any precautions then?" Another woman asked.

"Uh, I don't really know of any." Katie said feeling like an idiot. This started a whole new flood of conversation that brought unsightly images to Katie's mind.

* * *

When they got back to their room, Katie wrapped her arms around Zuko's neck and collapsed in his arms. She tilted her face up to kiss him when she smelled alcohol on his breath. 

"How much did you drink tonight" she asked suspiciously.

"Don't worry, I only had one glass all night." He said kissing her. "But it's not my fault they kept refilling it."

"Zuko!" Katie said angrily, pulling away.

"Relax. I have a very high resistance. I don't even feel a thing." Katie glared at him. "You weren't there. Do you have any idea what pressure I was under?"

"That's no excuse. You're sleeping on the floor." Katie said turning her back on him. Zuko pounced.

* * *

Eh, it just kinda ended, I know. I just didn't know what else to write and it was already taking up 7 Word Document pages. I figured that's long enough to last you bloodsuckers the rest of the day.

ADVERTISMENTS

_Remember to read O-dragon's One night, and Katara183's Water bender in the Earth kingdom. And please let me know how may of you would be intersted in reading a story by Titan09 about Liz Sherman from Hellboy traveling to different universes, including the avatar-verse. I know I can't wait to read it!_

Now review as you've never reviewed before!


	21. sumthin'

Wow, this is just about the longest it has ever taken for me to update this story. I have felt so incomplete today! And yet I've felt good because I feel as though I actually havea life. Yesterday I went to work and it just isn't as fun as it used to be. I used to work with this cute 20-year-old guy, but then he moved away to go to school. So now it's just me and three old guys. All of which have long hair and scruffy beards. I was kinda embarrassed yesterday because I thought I was going to be by myself and didn't wear a belt with my work jeans, and my forever heavy keys were weighing down my pants. It's not like they were around my knees, but they were kinda just hangin' off my hips. Anyways, then I got home and started this chapter and a friend called me up to go play nightgames. It was fun. We played Ultimate frisbee in the dark. There were only six of us, and only one of those people was a guy. Me and him were the most agressive players, we ended up smacking into each other a few times. It was a blast. Then today was the same thing except a friend called me up that I haven't talked to in forever. We went malling. It was fun, but I ended up hearing all about her boyfriend problems. I'm so glad I'm not in that kind of relationship with someone. I look around at people that are serious dating and they never look as though they are enjoying themselves. Anyways, on to what ya'll've been waiting for.

**Katara183: **Don't worry, I plan to.

**Lovergal1227: **Read this chapter, it will clear up your concern.

**Khazia: **Hey monkey! Glad you enjoyed the quote. I can't wait for your next chapter. I forgot to tell you in my review how much I loved the shower scene. Too bad Zuko put on a towel before leaving the bathroom (grin).

**Zukoscute2: **Relax. Here it is.

**xXFissshbonesssXx: **I just love reading your reviews. They sound so professional and make me feel really good about my story. I'm actually taking a Sci-fi class right now and the goal is to try to get something published by christmas.I've always wanted to write a novel, but have never mustered the ambition. Then again, this thing is practically a novel.Professionally I really want to get into film-making. First I want to start out in animation, but I think that one day I would like to become a screen-writer or director.

**Starchic: **I'm trying!

**Angeltread: **Thankly thankyou!

**O-dragon: **The open house is up in Pennsylvania, so I really don't think I'll go to it. Plus I've already chosen the school I want to go to and it's in the opposite direction cough-canada-cough-cough. Plus I'm just too dern honest to become a lawyer. I don't think I could handle doing any job with a dress code other than "Wear clothes!" Anyways, thanx for your review. I'm waiting anxiously for your next chapter.

**Athenera: **Oh, it ain't over yet. I'm planning on writing another 5 chapters, give or take. Don't worry, you will definitely know when the story is over.

**Titan09: **The Kawaii thing is cute...or Kawaii;-) hee hee. Basket case (slaps knee). Geez, everyone seems to have a family member with the same name as one of mine! Thanx for the review.

I have a disclaimer at the bottom. Make sure to read it. I didn't want to do it up here because it would ruin the surprise.

* * *

"The cupboard door opened with a soft creak and a heavy object fell towards him. He caught it instinctively and felt something wet, and warm soak into the sleeves of his shirt. In the faint light he could see that the thing in his arms had very recently been a person. On the body's finger was Mary's ring. He dropped the body and backed away, vomiting in the corner of the room. He dropped to the floor and began sobbing hysterically, praying that it was all just a prank when he heard a soft thump in the hallway." Katie and Zuko were sitting cross-legged on their bed; Katie had decided that the prince was missing out on a great opportunity because he had never heard one of her scary stories. And telling scary stories is what this Katie does best. Her voice quivered as though she was reliving a past experience and her eyes were wide, occasionally glancing around the room in fear. Very gradually, she had been leaning closer and closer to Zuko's face until she was only a few inches away. "Very slowly, he got up from where he was sitting and walked as quietly as he could to the bedroom door. He reached out with a shaking hand and pulled on the handle. The hallway itself was in half darkness. He leaned his head out and glanced up and down the hall cautiously. He took a step out the door, pressing his back against the wall he began sliding towards the staircase. Then his foot bumped something on the floor. He looked down and saw a bloodstained axe leaning against the wall next to his feet. Fresh blood was glistening from the blade. He heard another soft thump behind him. He turned to look, but there was nothing there. He turned again to walk towards the stairs whe-AAAAAAAAAHHHH!"

Zuko nearly jumped out of his skin. Katie fell backwards in a fit of hysterical laughter.

"Oh man. I got you good!" She gasped between bursts of giggles.

"It's not funny!" Zuko said trying to get his heart under control.

"You're right, it wasn't. It was _hilarious._" Katie said wiping a tear from her eye. Zuko couldn't help but smile.

"Alright, you got me. So what happens next?"

"I don't know. I was just making it up as I went along. Want to hear another?"

"No, that's alright." Zuko said as casually as he could.

"Hmm, well. Goodnight." Katie said and laid down. Zuko sighed and spooned up behind her. "Ah ah ahhh, Zuko. I said you're going to sleep on the floor tonight and I mean it." She said pulling his arm from her waist.

"What? Even after I let you tell me that story you're still mad about the wine?"

"Mmm hm." She said shoving him away. "Now begone foul demon."

"I'd like to see you make me." Zuko said reattaching himself to her and closing his eyes. Katie wasn't going to give in that easily. She struggled and kicked him for nearly ten minutes but it only resulted in him pinning her arms and legs so that she could barely move at all.

* * *

"Stay on the sunny side. Always on the sunny side. Stay on the sunny side of life. 2! 3! 4! You'll feel no pain, as I drive you insane, if you stay on the sunny side of life." Katie sang softly the next morning still locked in Zuko's grip. He stirred slightly and nuzzled her neck.

"Did you have to wake me up? I was having a really good dream." He growled.

"Yeah, I could tell. Now would you please let me go so the blood can start circulating again?" Zuko didn't let her go, but at least eased up enough for her to get her right arm free. Katie looked at the cut on her hand symbolizing their marriage and noticed that her fingertips were stained. She remembered eating some berries the night before and figured the stains were from them. The result was four purple marks vaguely resembling faces. Katie grinned and changed her voice so that it was higher, hoarser and had a slight Spanish accent.

"Teen Girl Squad! Cheerleader! So-and-so! Whats-her-face! THE UGLY ONNNE!"

"What?" Zuko asked opening his eyes.

"Let's get ready to look so gooood!" Katie said, ignoring him and continuing on with her puppet show. "We should go to the mall to look so good! But you go to the thrift store Whats-her-face. These clothes smell like grandma!" Katie giggled between sentences.

"Are you sure that _you _didn't have anything to drink last night?" Zuko asked, watching her fingers.

"Shyeah! I'm just remembering a…play…I used to watch all the time before I met you. It was called 'Strongbad emails' (disclaimer at bottom)" She wiggled one finger at him making the weird voice. "Aaah! My skin!"

"You're so strange." Zuko said, kissing her shoulder. Katie only grinned and began singing the 'Trogdor' song.

"Katie…"

"My name's not Katie. It's…Trogdoooooor! The Buuuurninatooooor!"

"Whoever you are, shut up." Zuko said wincing as a pain shot across his forehead.

"I though you said you have a high resistance!" Katie said pointedly.

"That doesn't mean I have a full resistance." He said, pressing his face into her neck as another wave of pain seared across his scalp.

"Oh, poor baby. Sit up, I'll give ya a massage." Zuko let out a sigh of relief after they had gotten resituated and Katie made the pain go away.

* * *

The next week was spent pretty much as has already been stated. But after that much time had passed the two decided to venture once more out into the sunlight. They passed the day wandering aimlessly through the city, browsing in shops and loitering on shaded benches. A few hours after noon, Katie felt something collide with her head, nearly knocking her off balance. She let out a cry of surprise as something the size of a monkey began crawling around her head. Then a white and brown face poked itself into her line of vision and stared at her with big tennis ball eyes.

"Momo?"

"Did you say something?" Zuko asked turning around to see her struggling with the animal attached to her skull.

"Momoooo! Where are you boy?" Someone called from the crowd. It was a voice they both knew all too well. "Momoooo!" Aang stepped into sight and continued calling for his pet. Then he spotted Momo on Katie's shoulder and froze. After scanning a few faces he found Zuko as well.

"Avatar." Zuko growled, taking a step towards the boy.

"Zuko, no." Katie grabbed his arm and held him back, she searched her mind for a good excuse about why he shouldn't go after him. "We don't have anywhere to hold him and you can't catch him alone in any case." Momo jumped off her shoulders to rejoin his master. Once Aang got a hold of the lemur, he seemed to vanish in the passing crowd. Zuko let out the breath he had been holding and turned away.

"Come on. Let's go get something to eat."

* * *

There was a soft knock on the bedroom door and Katie sat up immediately.

"Huh?" she said looking around, half awake. Zuko hadn't even heard the knock but woke up when Katie jerked out of his reach.

"Is everyone decent in there?" A low, kindly voice asked from the hallway.

"Iroh? Is that you?" Katie asked, standing up and hastily pulling on a robe before opening the door.

"How good it is to see you!" Iroh said wrapping Katie in a warm hug.

"Uncle? What are you doing back so soon? There's still another weeks leave." Zuko asked as he pulled on the first pair of pants he could find. They happened to be Katie's baggy, plaidpajama bottoms.

"It's a complicated story. How about we discuss it over some breakfast, eh?" Iroh left the room so that they could dress.

"You know, you look really hot in those." Katie said nodding to her pants.

"They are pretty comfortable." Zuko said turning his back to her and wiggling his butt. Katie laughed and searched around for some clean clothes. They joined Iroh in the dining room where he was already helping himself to a plate of rice and some kind of meat.

"First of all, how has your honeymoon been?" Iroh asked beaming around at the two of them.

"It's been great, but why did you come back so early?" Zukoasked, pouring himself a cup of tea. Iroh set down his chopsticks before he began his story.

"I spoke with your father when I returned to the firenation capitol. He wanted to know about your progress in catching the avatar and also of your well-being." Zuko snorted at this, but Iroh pretended he didn't hear him. "I told my brother of your marriage and he wishes to throw a ball in your honor. There will be a two week suspension on your banishment for this occasion which will be held in the palace."

"What is he really up to uncle?" Zuko asked picking at a plate of food that Ina set down in front of him.

"Well, there may be some underlying plot. But I believe he is genuinely curious to meet the next queen of the Firenation." Katie froze. She had never thought of her marriage to Zuko like that before. How could she be a queen? She was just a farm girl from Utah!

"Did you tell him about…?"

"No. I did not mention Katie's resemblance to your mother. But I don't think that it will take him long to realize it. I do believe that this will all work in your favor. If we play the part correctly, he may be so impressed that he allows you back permanently." Iroh said. Katie read between the lines and saw that Zuko's future was relying heavily upon her presentation.

"Look, I don't know the first thing about how to act at a ball. I don't even have a dress." Katie said feeling some dread bubbling in her stomach.

"Well, that could be easily remedied. It really doesn't take much effort if you're a woman. Just smile and look pretty and dance with every man that asks for your hand." Iroh said picking up his chopsticks and digging back in to his food.

"I can't dance!"

"Yes you can. We danced when I caught the avatar a few months ago. Remember?" Zuko said.

"That wasn't dancing. We just pivoted on the spot."

"That's all dancing really is." Iroh said.

"It will be easy to teach you the more complicated steps." Zuko said.

"How long does it take to get to the Firenation capitol?" Katie asked, figuring she could use all the time she could get to learn and dread the night of the ball.

"It took me almost a week to get here from there. Weather permitting." Iroh said taking another bite. So they spent their last night in the sweet little cottage. Ina bawled her eyes out and saw them off the next morning and once more they were confined to Zuko's ship. Katie noticed that there were only six crewmembers altogether on the ship. The rest were waiting for them at the capitol. The week on the ship passed all too quickly for Katie's liking. From sunrise to sunset she was being tortured...er...tutored in the mannerisms and customs of the Firenation. Her time spent learning how to read nearly tripled and she was getting footsore from learning the various waltzes in a pair pinchy shoes on a ship in the middle of a tossing ocean. She remembered always watching those cheesy 'peasant girl must learn to be a princess' movies and scoffing at how hard it was for the girls to get the royalty thing down. But now that she was living it she understood. While she wasn't causing natural disasters for comic relief, her brain felt like it was about to explode from the tidal wave of info. She also felt like she was on pins and needles trying to do everything perfectly. After eight days of intensive training, Katie was roughtly shaken awake one morning. She opened her eyes and saw Zuko's face three inches away from her own.

"Wake up. We're almost there." He looked excited. He practically pulled her out of bed and found all her clothes for her. They stepped out onto the deck and the first thing Katie noticed was the change in humidity. This area felt like Miami. Already she felt her clothes sucking to her body. In the distance was something that looked as though it was taken straight from a Sci-fi novel. A coastline rose up in the distance and set in it's center was a monstrosity of a building. It was made of stone and metals, elaborately crafted to make the building look like a giant flame. Copper seemed to have been crafted all along the highest points making the whole building seem to shimmer in an orange glow. Katie looked up at Zuko who was standing at her side. The look on his face was that of intense pride and happiness to finally see his home after two years of wandering. He wrapped his arms around her and rested his cheek against her temple. "Welcome home."

* * *

MINI DISCLAIMER

I don't own strongbad emails. I wish I did, but it's just the sad sad truth. For those of you who don't know what I'm talking about, 1) you should be ashamed of yourself, and 2) Strongbad is an Internet cartoon at "Homestarrunner dot com" (I had to spell it out because this won't let metype the adress itself in)Check it out today! The strongbad emails are the best, Trogdor is from the one titled "Drawing" and the teen girl squad is in the 'toons' section. I command you to go to the site now! It is FABULOUS!

And don't forget to go read the stories previously advertized. I'm too lazy to type them out right now. Have a luverly day! And review or I'll doom you!


	22. AHH THE PRESSURE!

OH HAPPY DAYS ARE HERE AGAIN! Tomorrow's Saturday! oh yeah, I get to sleep in until after 6. If my body lets me. which it probably won't. hmmm. But HeY! At least i don't have to drive to Orem tomorrow morning! Yay! Anyways. I really need to do some laundry tomorrow. I'm getting desperate for socks. I'm wearing my old softball socks right now. I had to scrape them from the bottom of my drawer and dust them off. They're actually pretty sweet. I should start a new fashion trend of wearing ten-year-old baseball socks. Viva le revelution! Anyways. I'm really weird today. I've been awake for the last twenty hoursmwahaahahhaaa! Pardon my temporary lapse of sanity. I'm trying to get over it.

**Katara183: **I know! Isn't Strongbad the greatest?

**Khazia: **I have seen the Japanese cartoon one. In fact, how's this for coincidence? There's a girl in my college class who was wearing a t-shirt today with strongbad on it in his blue haired, big shiny booted anime glory! And about your dream...Heck yes I still want to hear it! Geez gurl! You've been keeping me on edge all week doncha know?

**Zukoscute2: **Yes, let us. But we won't be seeing Ozai's reaction this chapter I'm afraid.

**O-dragon: **Miami's just the worst humidity place I've ever been to, I felt like someone was punching me in the chest when I stepped out of the airport. But then again I've been living in this dry, high elevation my entire life. Any kind of moisture in the air is suffocating to me. Oh hoho. You want to hear a sore foot story? I went with my church group a few years back on a pioneer handcart trek in Wyoming. It was a three day kinda deal. The first day was only two miles, second day was maybe four or five. Day three we had to walk sixteen miles with a handcart loaded with our supplies up Rocky Ridge. and to make things worse people would come up to us and tell us members of our 'family' had broken something so we would have to pile them onto the handcart we were dragging along. Somewhere around mile thirteen I wore through my shoes but I was too stubborn to give up and get in one of the cars. So I walked three miles with my shoes all freaked out. Anyways. DON'T STOP RAMMBLING! I like those kinds of reviews that are long and interesting. I'm glad you liked the palace!

**Titan09: **I want to marry The Cheat someday. Him or Gir from Invader Zim. There's a guy at my school who has a stuffed The Cheat. It's awesome. I want to steal it. A bunch of Firenation doing thriller would be hilarious. And what a weird coincidence. I know a kid who does a mean Michael Jackson impersonation (spelling?) from my school. He did it two years in a row for the school talent show. The first year he got third place, last year he won first. It's awesome. He even looks like Mikey. I figured that Zuko resisted from going after Aang because he was still all confused about whether he wanted something to happen to our favorite lil' que ball at the hands of his father. Or somethin' like that. I really want to see that flash movie site. I'll have to check it out next time I'm at my brother's place. My dad kinda blew out the speakers on our computer.

**Athenera: **I'm gonna tell ya! I'm gonna tell ya! Thanx, you're a wunnerful person too.

**Skovmand: **Hey, cool name. Welcome the black hole that is my mind. Once you're here you can't get out I'm sorry to say. I actually did what you said about writers block and deleting stuff I've already written. But the weird thing is that I did it just before I read your review. Freaky eh? I's psychic! Sorry again that you are now trapped here with the rest of it. Hope you brought a flashlight.

AAAHHH! There's a bug in my ear!

* * *

"Just smile." Zuko muttered to Katie and took her arm leading her off the ship. Hundreds of people were gathered, waiting to witness the return of their prince. Katie plastered a smile on her face and allowed Zuko to steer her off the ship. There was a loud cheer from the crowd as they made their way along a well kempt street with Iroh walking five paces behind them. 

"So, where is your father?" Katie asked through her fixed smile.

"He'll be waiting for us in his court." Zuko said, holding a hand up regally to all his subjects. They paraded right up to the grand steps of the palace. There was only one thing standing between them and the gilded doors. And that was a girl around the age of fifteen. Katie recognized her right away as the girl she had seen from 'the Storm'. This had to be Zuko's little sister.

"Hello _prince _Zuko." She said sweetly.

"Zula." He said nodding to her in acknowledgment.

"I see that you have failed to recover your honor. But then again, it doesn't appear that you much care for honor anymore." Zula said giving Katie a sneer. Zuko glared at his sister.

"You _will _show me respect Zula. And you will also show respect to your future queen." Zula shot Katie an icy glare and rapped on the door behind her. It opened at her command and they followed her inside.

"Father is having a meeting with his council on Korgan. He won't return until the night of the ball. Your room is right where you left it, I'm sure you can find it yourself." Without a backward glance, Zula disappeared through a door. Zuko sighed and led Katie to a stairway.

"_That _is my sister."

"I thought she was absolutely charming." Zuko snorted. They walked up two flights of stairs and down a few long hallways. The walls were lined with paintings of former rulers and aristocrats. Finally Zuko opened a door and held it open for Katie to enter the room first. It looked a lot like his room on the ship only everything was grander. There was an actual canopy bed instead of just a mattress on the floor and a dragon shrine against one wall nearly took up the entire wallspace. There were tapestries and weaponry all over the other three walls. A large armoire stood at the side of the bed and there was a door across the room leading out to a sort of balcony. The curtains on this door along with the bedspread were dark red and felt like velvet. "Um, the room could probably use a feminine touch." Zuko said, anxiously watching her look around.

"Are you kidding, I think this is awesome." She said walking out onto the balcony. They were three stories up. The crowd below had mostly dissipated but there were still a few stragglers standing around and chatting with each other.

"So, when is the ball going to be?" Katie asked nervously.

"In two days. We should probably find my father's seamstress to make you a dress." He said taking her hand and leading her back downstairs. Zuko called a servant to fetch a seamstress and within ten minutes a pretty woman in her thirties seemed to just appear at their side. She circled Katie, eyeing her critically.

"And I'm guessing she needs a gown for the Firenoble ball?" She asked taking out a tape and wrapping it around Katie's waist.

"Yes, and she could use a few just to wear around the castle as well." Zuko said watching the woman carefully.

"Well. We can't do anything here in the hall now can we? My lady, if you would kindly come with me." She took Katie's arm and led her away before Zuko could protest.

"So what is your name?" Katie asked the woman.

"I'm Imoen. I've been working as seamstress in the palace for nineteen years, so please forgive me for not wanting to stay in the company of the prince for too long. I've had enough experience with the royal family to dare try and dance around that temper." She said steering Katie to a room somewhere in the labyrinth of hallways. The room was quite large and decorated with…red. But all over the room were pallets of colorful fabric of every color imaginable. "Now. I have many many gowns in my possession that I know will fit you splendidly. But for something as important as the ball I will make something special for you from scratch."

"Oh you don't have to do that."

"But I want to. It's a far cry better than waiting to jump at the royal brat's voice." Imoen said bustling around looking through the fabrics for something specific. "What colors do you prefer to wear my dear?"

"Um, brown. I guess." Katie said not all to sure.

"Oh no. It far to dull a color." Imoen said shuffling through more fabric.

"I like to wear black and blue as well. Maybe olive green."

"No no. Blue is right out. Green would bring out the color of your eyes, but it's a bad color to wear among people at war with the Earth Kingdom. Especially when you have the skin and hair coloring of one of _them_. Now black. I do believe that could work." She pulled out a roll of black, shiny fabric and waved it in the air triumphantly. She thrust the fabric in Katie's arms and went back to her library of cloth. "But black is too plain to be by itself. What you need is a very dark red." Katie smiled. She should have seen that coming. Imoen was back within seconds carrying another roll of cloth. It was a beautiful crimson silk. "Oh I can already see you in it. I'm so excited!" Imoen said grabbing the cloth back from Katie and reaching for a measuring tape. Katie was growing fonder of Imoen by the minute. They laughed and talked for most of the day. Katie spent the time on a short table with her arms stretched out at her sides while Imoen took measurements. Katie watched in amazement as the woman skillfully cut the fabric and sewed pieces together with a speed and perfection that would have put most sewing machines to shame. Within three hours, a dark red dress was beginning to take shape. Within five hours, it was almost completely done. Katie stood on the table once more as Imoen pinched and pinned the cloth in various places, all the while gossiping about life in the palace.

"And that prince of yours. He was the most rambunctious little scamp. I had to sew up a new hole in his clothes nearly every day." Katie laughed. She thought every story she heard about Zuko's childhood was hilarious. She really felt sad that there weren't that many. Imoen paused from the hem she was sewing and looked up at Katie with a smile. "I don't know if anybody has told you. But you look remarkably like Queen Zerita."

"I do know. I saw a portrait of her at her aunts house."

"Hm, me and Zerita were best friends growing up. I don't think a better person has ever walked the earth." Imoen said returning her attention to the hem. "I must thank you. Today, it's been as though I've stepped back into the past to a very happy time in my life."

"Um, your welcome." Katie said with a shrug. There was a light knock on the door and it opened without invitation. Zuko popped his head in and glanced around.

"There you are. How is the dress coming?" He asked stepping in and shutting the door behind him.

"Really good. We've been having a great time." Katie said. She leaned down and kissed Zuko lightly. Zuko looked her up and down with obvious appreciation on his face. Katie really wished she could see what she looked like in the dress.

"My uncle wants us to join him for dinner in an hour." He said, finally able to move his eyes to her face.

"Alright, I'll see you then." She kissed him again and he left them to finish with the dress.

"Well. I think that just about does it." Imoen said sitting back and admiring her work.

"Do you have a mirror I could see myself in?"

"Of course not! The dress isn't done yet." Imoen said as though aghast at the idea of such a thing.

"But you just said…"

"This part is done, but the entire gown is only half finished. I'll have it done by the ball. Don't you worry." She said shooing Katie behind a screen to change into one of the other gowns she had given her. Katie had been wondering about the dress. So far they had only used the red fabric Imoen had picked out and the black stuff had been placed aside. Katie left Imoen and went to find Zuko and Iroh for dinner. She had made it through several twisting hallways when she realized that she had no idea where she was. She wandered through the palace trying to find someone to ask for directions. After several minutes she finally saw someone in armor disappear around a corner.

"Excuse me!" Katie called, jogging slightly to catch up with the man. He turned at the sound of her footsteps and Katie froze. It was Zhao.

"Well. What do we have here?" He smirked.

"Um. Sorry. I thought you were someone else." Katie said walking backwards towards an open door. If she could get in there and lock it…but Zhao seemed to be able to read her mind and quickly maneuvered himself so he was between her and the door.

"I must say that I was surprised when I heard the news. Not about the fact that the prince would stoop as low as to marry a slave, but that even a slave would consent to kiss that face." Katie bit back a harshretort tothis and tried to look dignified, looking him in the eye and refusing to look away.

"I'm sorry I cannot stand around and chat with you admiral. My husband and uncle are waiting for me to join them for dinner." Katie said stepping out of reach. Zhao watched her with his steely gaze.

"You don't even know where the dining room is, do you? I'm sure they would understand if you were late." Zhao said reaching out and grabbing Katie's wrist.

"LET ME GO!" Katie pulled her leg up, putting her foot against his chest she shoved him away as hard as she could. Her arm, which he was still holding tightly, felt almost as though it was being wrenched out of place. Her attack didn't hurt Zhao at all and he advanced on her, a menacing fire in his eyes.

"You've remained out of my reach for too long. I will not let you get away this time."

"Admiral Zhao! You will stand down at this instant." They both turned to see Iroh standing in a doorway. Katie rushed to his side. Zhao glared at both of them before straightening himself and stalking off.

"Thank you so much Iroh." Katie said hugging him.

"Are you all right?" He asked placing a protective arm around her shoulders.

"Yeah. I'm okay."

"What were you doing all the way in the south wing?" Iroh asked closing the door to what was obviously his bedroom and he began steering Katie in another direction.

"I don't have the slightest clue where I am or where I'm going. I was trying to find someone to point me in the right direction when I bumped into that…Augh!" Katie shook herself furiously. The arm Zhao had touched felt contaminated. "Why is it that he keeps popping up wherever I turn?"

"That's just the way he is I guess. Come. My nephew is probably growing worried. We were supposed to meet him ten minutes ago."

* * *

Okay. It wasn't a bug. It was just my sanity dripping out my ear. Holy cah-rap I need to get some sleep. Please review. 


	23. even more dancin' monkeys

Holy crap! over 3000 hits! That's a nice number. Anyways. I just got done watching one of my favorite movies of all time. The Lost Skeleton of Cadavra. Many people would probably watch it and be like '_Okay Katie, you're a complete dip.'_ But all I can say to them is..."I know" I just love it. It's a spoof on old horror films from the twenties. Now excuse me as I spout out various favorite quotes just to get them out of my mind: "But Paul, my legs already feel like two heavy slow things." "Yes. Kro-bar. My husband." "Quick wife! Bend at the middle!" "Tiiiiip tip tip tip tip." "I wanted to inform you of a horrible mutilation in the area so that you aren't also horribly mutilated." "My name's Ranger Brad. But you can call me Ranger Brad." "If I had wanted a dull life, I guess I shouldn't have married a man who studies rocks." "Rowr""That's not my problem! I sleep now!" "'Oh! It's so horrible! I can't look!' 'AndI can't not look away'" "Moon? Teaspoons? those are too big of ideas for me to comprehend."

Hee hee hee. I love that show! Anyways, now that your I.Q. has been sapped.

**Zukoscute2: **Eh, she can just smack him down for being insensitive if he does get angry.

**Skovmand: **Here's that next chapter you've been waiting for.

**Titan09: **It's just something I say. If it were up to me I would've married bunches of my favorite cartoon characters by now. I haven't ever seen a cheetar, but it sounds rad. My MJ has a nose too, but other than that, he's a clone. I'm glad you liked the chapter, I hope I don't disappoint anyone with how I present Ozai. And I can't wait to read your Liz Sherman story.

**O-dragon: **I haven't been doing a disclaimer on every chapter just because I don't want to repeat myself. I figure that if I didn't own avatar on chapter one, chances are that I don't own it now either. Now that I think about it, Imoen is a lot like my aunt Yamasaki. All I need to do is throw in some crude jokes and a really loud laugh. I already know what I wanted to do with the black fabric, but you had some really good ideas. Thanx for them. Ew, why would you give vitamins to dead fish? Were you feeding them to something? I can't really think of a story to top that! I'm sorry to hear about your thumb. Maybe that mosquito was possessed.

**Khazia: **Yeah, it's Zhao again. And yeah, there's tons of Strongbad merchandise, but most of it is of The Cheat. If you want to find some, go to your nearest 'Hot Topic' store at any mall. I was just in our 'Hot Topic' the other day and my eyes were all big and anime-y because of all the luverly stuff and I was sad because I only had ten bucks on me.

**Athenera: **I hope you're not getting bored w/Zhao popping up. He's at the palace because it's a ball that's summoning all nobility and being an Admiral is right up there in status. I wish I could post a picture of the dress I'm thinking about. But I can't so I hope I can do it justice in a wordy description.

Alright, I'm kind of a person that writes people as being more laid back than they actually probably are, so I'm sorry if ya'll hate my presentation of Zhao.

* * *

Imoen called for Katie to come to her room the afternoon of the ball. Katie was really excited to see the dress. She hadn't had the chance to speak to Imoen since her first day at the palace and was really missing the friendly conversation.

"Now. Prepare your eyes to behold my masterpiece." Imoen said mysteriously when Katie entered the room.

"Oh, I'm prepared all right." Katie said. Imoen shoved aside a screen that had been hiding a mannequin wearing Katie's dress. It was breathtaking. The thing she had seen Imoen make before was almost more like an under dress. Over the top of it was what looked like a long coat made of the shiny black material. It hugged the torso, then split at the waist and flowed behind the red skirt like a cape. The sleeves were tight and went ¾ of the way down the arm, and then it just seemed to transform into the wide flowing sleeves of the red dress. "Oh wow." Was all Katie could say.

"Well, come on. Let's see how well it fits you." Imoen said excitedly taking the gown off the mannequin and handing the pieces one at a time for Katie to put on. The dress fit like a glove.

"Do you have a mirror?" Katie asked looking around.

"You can't see yourself yet! I still have to do your hair and makeup." She said leading Katie to a chair and forcing her down. Imoen stood in front of Katie and inspected her like a painter may inspect a canvas before setting to work. Imoen had a number of bottles of oils and things which she used to do Katie's hair. All Katie could tell was that her hair was being pulled into five small buns on top of her head. It took nearly three hours before Imoen was finally satisfied with her work and moved on to Katie's face. "You know. I think I would kill for your lips. I don't think I've ever seen a bigger pair." Imoen said as she applied some dark red lip paint.

"You obviously haven't seen Angelina Jolie." Katie said chuckling. Imoen chuckled as well even though she had no idea who Katie was talking about. Katie was going insane with waiting. She desperately wanted to know what she looked like. She had never had a makeover before. Her sister-in-law had always threatened to give her one but never had.

"I think we're almost done." Imoen said standing back a ways to admire her work. There was a light knock on the door and Katie heard Zuko's footsteps enter the room.

"We're expected downstairs within the next twenty minutes. Are you almost done?" He asked.

"Come see for yourself." Imoen said taking Katie's hand and helping her to stand up. Katie took a deep breath and turned to face Zuko. His jaw had dropped and his eyes were wide. So Katie had a good feeling about the way she looked.

"You…um…you" Zuko stuttered. Katie smiled at him. Zuko coughed nervously and pulled something from his pocket. "I got this for you to wear as well." It was a small red velvet box. Katie took it from him and opened it. Inside was a silver necklace covered in dark red gems. Katie nearly laughed out loud. Garnets were her birthstone. She wrapped her arms around Zuko's neck and kissed his cheek. Zuko gave her a pleased grin and took the necklace from the box. Katie untied the black cord of her X necklace and felt a slight twinge when she set it aside. _It's time to put away that life. _She thought to herself as Zuko put her new necklace around her throat.

"Thank you Zuko." Katie murmured kissing him. Imoen stood off to the side watching them with a smile.

"Before you go down, would you like to see yourself?" she asked.

"Heck yes I would." Imoen led her to a full-length mirror that was covered with a white drape. She pulled the drape aside and Katie stared at herself in disbelief. The dress was perfect. Katie had always been an athlete and had accepted her bold structure, but the dress gave the illusion that she was a lot slimmer. She could even be considered petite. The dress hugged her curves, accentuating them giving her an almost perfect figure that she knew she didn't have. Her face was made up to look slightly paler than it actually was and Imoen had expertly concealed the scar on Katie's cheek. Her lips were blood red and her eyelids were powdered with dark gray, causing her eyes to look more of a charcoal color than dark hazel. Her hair had been pulled up into the five buns as she had expected, but now she understood why it took so long. Each bun had been crafted to look like a delicate rose, her hair had even been tinted so that it reflected a copper or bronze color in the light. Katie took a deep breath, finally realizing that she had been holding it. "Oh wow."

* * *

Katie stood outside the doors to the ballroom arm in arm with Zuko waiting for their names to be announced.

"I forgot to mention, you look great." She murmured to Zuko, the silence in the hall was unbearable. Zuko still had his hair up in its customary ponytail, but was wearing a new tunic that was almost as dark a red as her dress. It was embroidered with purple thread and his pants were the same dark purple. His boots were black with red lines crafted all over it to give the impression of flames.

"And you look beautiful." He murmured, giving her arm an encouraging squeeze. Music echoed eerily from the closed door. Another couple took their places behind the two teens and after a few more seconds the music stopped. "This is it." Katie took a deep, quivering breath and the door in front of them opened.

"Prince Zuko, and princess Katie Lin." The announcer called out in a high voice that carried throughout the large room. The two stepped into the shimmering light from hundreds of candles to be greeted with numerous applause. There was a dark red carpet that led them to a giant throne surrounded in flame. Katie could barely make out the outline of the man behind the flame, but she could feel his eyes on her. _What am I doing here? _She wondered to herself as Zuko led her towards the Firelord. She held her head up high and straightened her back. She was suddenly very aware of herself. She felt like she was all hips, arms and teeth. _I'm going to fall flat on my face. I just know it. I'm going to make a total idiot of myself, these people are going to see right through me and I'll probably be guillotined or whatever they do to imposters here. _By now they had reached the base of the Firelord's throne. Katie took a deep breath and dipped into the proper curtsy as Zuko bowed next to her. The flames in front of the abated a little, the sign that they could move on. Once they had melted into the crowd Katie let out a huge sigh.

"That wasn't so bad." She said smiling weakly. Zuko smiled back and wrapped an arm around her waist.

"You did everything perfectly." He murmured. The announcer called out the name of another couple and everyone's eyes turned away from Zuko and Katie. Every pair except one that watched them closely through the flames. After a few more couples were announced, the music began once more and Zuko led Katie out to the floor. The congregation fell into the steps of a waltz as though it had all been choreographed. They found an opening and joined in the dance, before long Katie actually began enjoying herself. At eight 'o'clock the music ended altogether and the guests moved to a dining room that Katie had never been in before. She was surprised to see actual chairs around the giant tables. It was customary to sit on cushions, but as she looked around at all the expensive clothes she understood the necessity of chairs in this case. An escort took her arm and pulled her away from Zuko, placing her in a designated seat in the middle of the table while Zuko was taken to sit three chairs from the head where Ozai was to dine. When everyone was situated perfectly a gong was struck and everyone stood as Ozai entered the room. Once he had a seat at the head of the table the gong was sounded again and everyone took their seats. For the first time, Katie got a good look of her father-in-law. She immediately understood where Zuko got his looks. Not only was the man good looking, but he also radiated a dignity that gave him a supernatural glow. Katie watched him for a few seconds before realizing that he was gazing right back at her. Katie immediately looked away, focusing her attention instead on the people surrounding her. Four seats down and glaring was Zola. She was wearing a pretty Kimono type dress that was a pale pink at the bottom but gradiently turned to a bright red, then a light purple as the eyes traveled up her body. Several more seats away was Zhao.

"I must say you look absolutely lovely princess." A young man in his twenties sitting across from Katie said. She looked over at him for the first time. He had long black hair and sideburns like many of the men and looked quite plain. But his pale brown eyes made him stand out. They were identical to Marius' eyes and it really unnerved Katie for a few seconds.

"Why thank you very much. May I ask what your name is?"

"My name is Anomen. My father is the scribe and council to Firelord Ozai."

"Well, it's an honor to meet you."

"And you must tell us who you are, we are all dying to know." He said giving her a calculating look.

"As was said before, I'm Katie Lin. My father is (searching her mind frantically for something more impressive than farmer) a priest and elder in his quorum."

"A holy man? Really? Just what work has he done?"

"He traveled abroad for several years as a missionary. Currently he teaches youth." Katie said sticking with her father's church callings.

"I have a cousin who is a priest, he's very…" Katie let out an inner sigh of relief as conversation shifted away from her. She took the opportunity to glance around the table once more. She watched Zuko for a second before he threw her a glance and a small smile. Several seats away from him was Iroh who was talking animatedly to a few other old men and a few seats from him was Ozai. Katie glanced at him and saw that his eyes were still on her. Katie turned back to the people around her quickly and joined in their pleasant conversation as they ate a delicious meal. When servants had cleared the table an orchestra began playing music and gradually people began dancing.

"May I have the honor of his dance, princess?" Anomen asked holding out a hand in invitation. Katie gave him a wide smile and took the proffered hand despite the fact that she really didn't like him. _"Just smile and dance with every man that asks" _Iroh had told her. So that's what she was going to do. After one dance with Anomen another man stepped in and asked her to dance as well. Katie looked around desperately for Zuko to save her but he was across the room dancing with a heavy woman in her forties. Several dances and dance partners later, Katie found herself face to face with Zhao.

"Would you care to dance with me…_princess?_" He asked holding out one hand. Katie swallowed and placed her hand in his as the music began once more. He wrapped an arm firmly around her waist and puller her closer than she found comfortable, but it was best not to make a scene. "My, but you certainly have come a long way from the barely dressed mountain slave I met three months ago." He murmured leaning his face close to hers. He smelled like charcoal. She gave him an icy smile.

"And you haven't changed one bit." She said conversationally.

"You think you're protected here? Good. Fall into your little sense of security. I'll be waiting for it to happen." Katie glared up into his eyes; there was a silent staring contest between them when someone tapped lightly on Zhao's shoulder. "What is it! Oh. Excuse me my lord." Standing beside them was Firelord Ozai.

"I wish to dance with my new daughter-in-law." Ozai said, his eyes intent upon her face. Zhao looked taken aback. This obviously wasn't a regular occurrence. He bowed and stepped away, shooting Katie one last glare before disappearing into the crowd. Katie was at a loss for what to do. Dancing with the Firelord wasn't something covered in her crash course. So she decided to wing it. She dipped into a respectful curtsy before allowing him to take her hand.

"It is an honor my lord." She said in her most royal voice.

"The honor is all mine dear child." He said looking into her eyes. His eyes were so much like Zuko's that Katie almost felt as though she knew this man. She gave him a small smile and placed a hand on his shoulder and they began waltzing. "There has been a rumor circulating that you were once a slave on my son's ship. And yet you hold yourself like royalty. Which one is it?"

"I was never a slave my lord. That was merely a story for my protection." Katie said truthfully. _Why can't I look away from his eyes? _She wondered to herself. She decided to try and do her part to impress the firelord so she continued. "Although my family isn't currently royalty, my ancestry dates back to Lady Godiva. A queen who did what she thought was right for her people." She decided to leave out that she had done this by protesting her husband and streaking through the city. The Firelord merely nodded. Katie doubted he was listening to a word she was saying.

"You look lovely." He murmured.

"Thank you my lord." Katie said nervously. Ozai raised his hand from the place it rested on her waist and brushed her bangs out of her eyes with one finger. His eyes were glazed over as he stared into her face, lost in memories. Katie couldn't take his gaze any longer. She was growing more uncomfortable with each passing moment. She glanced around desperately for Zuko and saw him twenty feet away, watching her closely. She gave him a pleading look and he nodded. Zuko disappeared into the crowd causing a weight of despair to drop in the pit of Katie's stomach. She turned her attention back to Ozai whose intense gaze had not shifted in the least. Slowly, he lowered his face towards hers, his lips parting slightly. "Um, My lord?" she asked leaning backwards and placing her hand firmly against his chest. Ozai seemed to snap out of a daze and looked at her in confusion. It took them a few seconds to realize the music had stopped and Iroh had stepped up on a platform. Everyone's attention drifted to the old man. Katie pulled out of Ozai's grip and took a safe step away from him.

"Let us all remember the reason we are here. To celebrate the marriage between my nephew and his lovely bride." Iroh said holding out his hands. Everyone began clapping. "Would the two of you please come up here?" Zuko was suddenly at Katie's side. He offered her an arm which she took gratefully, hugging it close.

"What's going on?" She asked as they made their way to the platform.

"I have no idea, I just told him to make up a reason to get you away from my father." Zuko said apprehensively.

"Everyone here knows prince Zuko. But none of you know his new wife and your future queen. In the time I have come to know her, I have seen that she is a talented, high spirited, lovely personfrom the inside out." Iroh said as they came to stand beside him. He was now holding his hands behind his back. "Did I mention she's talented?" With this he pulled his hands out from behind his back. He was holding Katie's Ukujo. Katie gaped at him in horror. "And to show you that talent, she know she would be absolutely pleased to sing a song for all of you." He placed the instrument gently in her hands and gave her a nudge. Katie gave him her most deadly glare but he just smiled back at her. She glanced over at Zuko for help, but he looked just as interested as every other face staring up at her. Katie swallowed nervously and plucked absently at the strings to check the tune.

"Um…yes. I would love to share with you my talent." She glanced behind her for inspiration and saw the orchestra. She couldn't believe her eyes, but there tucked under the arm of one of the performers was a violin. Katie smiled and turned back to the crowd. "Unfortunately, my throat is too tight to sing." She shot another glare at Iroh for announcing that she would. He merely shrugged and watched in amusement. "But I have prepared something else." She handed the ukujo back to Iroh and walked over to the violinist. "May I borrow this?" she whispered. He looked stunned, but handed it over to her. Katie placed the violin beneath her chin, allowing herself to become readjusted to it. No particular song came to mind, so she just let her fingers go. Allowing them to flit over the strings as they pleased. There were hints of various other tunes that her fingers remembered. Slowly the people began dancing once more. She played for as long as she figured an actual song would last and let a final note ring from the instrument. The people stopped dancing and applauded her. She smiled and curtsied, returning the instrument to its owner. Then she went to Iroh's side and tried to refrain from slapping him.

"You know, I thought the whole idea of this was to give your brother a good impression. Not humiliate me!" She said furiously.

"But you did give him a good impression. That's the first time I've seen a tear in his eye since his wife's death." Iroh said softly. Katie glanced over at Ozai and sure enough his eyes were a bit sparklier then they had been a few minutes before.

"Come on. I've been wanting to dance with you for the last hour." Zuko whispered, leaning closer to her ear. Katie smiled and allowed him to steer her out to the floor. She didn't care about doing a waltz or any other choreographed dance. She wrapped her arms around Zuko's neck and rested her head on his shoulder, just happy to finally be back in his arms. He held her close and they pivoted on the spot as the world moved on around them. After a little while he began humming softly in her ear.

* * *

I really think my description of Ozai sucked in this chapter, I'll try to do a better job later on.


	24. hopefully a better Ozai

Wow, either everyone has died or my last chapter sucked worse than I thought it did! This is the smallest number of reviews I've ever gotten. Oh well, beggars can't be choosers. I don't know what the deal is today, but first my horse, Mama, tries to bite me (It's something she's never done before in the ten years we've had her. I blame it on the hormones of pregnancy) then I was pouring myself some kool-aid and my dad bit my arm (also a first, but I still can't figure it out. I hope he's not pregnant or else he has some 'splainin to do). Today was my nephews third birthday party. His b-day is actually tomorrow, but we celerbrated today because everyone wasn't busy. I'm proud to say that I beat the snot out of the Spongebob pinata. I didn't exactly break it because the thing was indestructable, but I broke him off the wire holding him up. So we ended up just tearing him open like a bunch of blood-thirsty heathens. Anyways, here's the shoutouts to my (sniff sniff) three reviewers. Seriously, did my last chapter suck that bad?

**Zukoscute2: **I'm glad you luved it. That at least makes one.

**Titan09: **Augh, I hate the violin prodigies. There's one girl in my chamber orchestra who played the bass last year but this year is concert mistress. She's flippin' amazing. She plays bluegrass and it makes me feel like slime because I'm not bad, but I'll never be as good as her. I haven't really seen all that much of the Homestarrunner site except the SB emails and teen girl squad. Once again I blame my dad for blowing out our speakers. And I'm glad you liked the chapter. Yay that makes...two people.

**O-dragon: **Yay! 3 people liked the chapter! So you were working as Sea World and complaining about touching fish? What's wrong with you! Just kidding, just kidding. Don't hate me. But seriously, that's awesome. I went to Xel-ha last year when I went on a family trip to Cacun and really wanted to do this 'swim with dolphins' program, but wasn't able to because all the spots had been filled up. But at least I got to swim with some humongous parrot fish. I swear, they were bigger than me. And the sound they made when crunching on coral was loud. Anyways, still can't wait for your next chapter!

Alright. I know I said I would be keeping the interaction between Katie and Zuko to minimum fluff, but I couldn't help it. I just had to write this.

* * *

Katie decided that she absolutely loved Zuko's bed. She woke up feeling like she was floating. But she found that there was a downside as she reached out for him, and that was the size of the thing. She couldn't find him with her probing hands and had to open her eyes. He was three feet away, curled up with his back to her. Kate rolled over and spooned behind him, letting her hand explore the muscles on his chest, stomach and thigh. As always he was radiating a kind of heat. Katie had been warm seconds before, but once she had a taste for his warmth she felt as though she was freezing without it. Zuko let out a small sigh and leaned back against her but refused to wake up. Katie kissed his neck and shoulder, but still he wouldn't stir. She placed her lips to his cheek and blew a loud raspberry against his skin. Zuko jumped as though stung and looked around confusedly. Katie chuckled and snuggled against his back.

"What was that for?" Zuko asked in annoyance.

"I don't know. Maybe I just want to be a pest." Katie said kissing his shoulder. "You smell good. Like a sleepy man."

"Good, because that's what I am right now." Zuko said rubbing sleep from his eyes. "Do you mind if I go back to sleep now that you've told me this?"

"You're no fun." She said resting her cheek against his. Then she had an idea. An awful idea. Katie had a wonderful, awful idea. Katie let her roaming hand drift up beneath Zuko's arm to a sweet place on his ribcage just below his armpit. Letting out a Xena war cry, Katie dug her fingernails into Zuko's tender flesh and tickled him mercilessly. Zuko's body began to spasm as he tried to fight off the laughter and Katie's fingers at the same time, but his muscles seemed to have turned to jelly. Finally, he rolled on his back, got a strong arm around Katie and pulled her tightly to his chest. He wiped tears of laughter from his eyes and tried to glare at her.

"That wasn't fair." He whined.

"Yes it was, you're bigger than me." Katie said kissing him softly. She wrapped her arms beneath the base of his skull so that they acted like a sort of pillow. Zuko placed a hand behind her neck and pulled her closer, kissing her deeply. Then the hand snaked down to her waist and pulled her hard against him. There was a slight knock at the door and they both pulled away with a growl. Katie began rolling off the top of him, but Zuko held her there.

"What is it?" he asked in his most annoyed voice.

"I beg your pardon prince, but the Firelord wishes to meet with you in the throne room." A very business like voice called from the other side.

"Tell him I'm busy making love to my wife and won't be able to meet with him for another hour." Zuko called to the messenger. Katie muffled her laughter on Zuko's shoulder as a stunned silence greeted them from the other side of the door.

"Um…yes sir." The man said nervously and they heard nothing more from him.

* * *

Zuko stepped into the throne room and glanced around for his father. He saw the man out on a balcony staring over his kingdom.

"You wished to speak with me…father?" Zuko asked trying to keep the bitterness out of his voice. Ozai didn't move, he stood tensely as though readying himself to attack.

"Yes prince Zuko." He said after a moment of silence. He turned to face his son, there was an emotion behind his eyes that Zuko couldn't comprehend, but he knew he should be afraid of it. "I now understand that the task I gave to you to redeem your honor was an impossible one. Especially for a teenage boy." Zuko glared slightly at being called a boy. "I am giving you another chance Zuko. If you can claim a victory in battle against the Earth Kingdom forces, your throne will be given back to you." Zuko felt his heart jump.

"Thank you father." He said trying to contain his happiness. He couldn't wait to tell Katie that his hunt for the Avatar was finally over. His father nodded to him in dismissal and it took a great deal of control on Zuko's part not to start running back to the bedroom. When he got to the door, Zuko glanced back at his father and saw Ozai watching him. Zuko now understood the expression on the older man's face. It was hatred. And Zuko's heart began sinking back into place as he realized his father's intentions.

* * *

"Aw Judas Priest!" Katie cried from the floor with Zuko's foot pinning her chest. "Your point." He removed his foot and gave her a hand up. They both took a defensive stance and Zuko made the first move, swiping his hand towards her shoulder. Katie dodged it and hit it away. She brought her foot up and kicked at his back, but he had whirled around and caught the foot, gradually he lifted it higher into the air leaving Katie to hop around helplessly. "Your point." She said again and Zuko let go of her foot. They started the whole thing over again. After a few blows, Katie managed to get behind Zuko. She grabbed his arms and pulled them roughly behind his back while pushing against the base of his spine with her raised knee. He struggled to get out of her grip for a few seconds but eventually gave up.

"Your point." He said and Katie released his arms. She rested her head against his back, trying to get her breath under control. They had been exercising for the last hour. Zuko turned around so that he was facing her and allowed her to lean against him in exhaustion. He glanced around this training room, he had spent countless hours here in his youth. There was a balcony all the way around the room where spectators could watch the proceedings without the risk of getting in the way of a stray flame. Standing in a dark corner was Ozai, he was watching them closely. Zuko hadn't noticed him there and he suddenly felt exposed. He rubbed Katie's arm. "Come on. Let's go for a walk."

"Are you okay?" Katie asked once they were out of the training room. Normally while they trained she only got the better of him once if she was lucky, but today she had been pinning him without a problem and she knew she wasn't that good. Zuko wrapped a protective arm around her waist. She had been wearing her p.j bottoms and cookie monster shirt to train in and her stomach was a little bit exposed. Zuko glared at anyone who gave her a glance.

"I'm fine. I was just thinking." He said. He didn't want to tell her about his father's offer. After Zuko had left the throne room a dark feeling about his father's intentions had been growing in his stomach. "What exactly did my father say to you at the ball last night?"

"Nothing really. He told me I looked nice but that was about it. He did try to kiss me."

"He WHAT?"

"I said he tried. I think he disappeared into his own world for a few seconds and though I was your mom." Katie said shivering slightly at the memory.

"Why didn't you tell me about it before?" Zuko asked anxiously.

"I don't know, I guess it just left my mind. Zuko, what's going on?" By this time they had reached their room.

"Just stay in here while I go talk to my uncle. I'll call for Imoen to keep you company." Zuko said hastily, he kissed Katie and then left her there in front of their door extremely confused.

* * *

"…He's lost his mind uncle. I don't know what to do. He's sending me to my death at a front line somewhere so he can get his hands on Katie." Zuko said sitting in his uncle's room with a cup of tea in his hands.

"Now prince Zuko, you are overreacting." Iroh said placing a comforting hand on his nephew's shoulder.

"What were we thinking when we brought her here? We should have known that something like this would happen."

"Nobody can foresee the future Zuko. And I'm telling you that you are overreacting. You're father merely wants to give you an easier chance to redeem your crown. He cares for you deeply and wants the dynasty to continue strongly."

"Then why would he look at me that way uncle? I saw hatred in his eyes. Hatred and anger directed at me. He doesn't give a damn about me, or this nation. He only cares about himself!" Iroh frowned at Zuko then grabbed his arm and pulled him to his feet.

"It is no use telling your concerns to me. We will speak with my brother and you will see that there is nothing for you to worry about." Iroh led Zuko to the throne room. "Tell the Firelord that his son and brother wish to speak with him." Iroh told a messenger. The small man disappeared through the door and returned a few seconds later nodding for them to enter. Ozai was out on his balcony once more, but his eyes were directed at a series of balconies across the courtyard. Zuko glanced in the direction he was looking and felt his stomach lurch. There was an open view of his room from here and Katie was out on the balcony talking animatedly with Imoen. He looked back at his father's face and saw a softness in his features that Zuko had never seen before. The face turned once more to slate when he turned to take notice of the two men beside him.

"You wished to speak to me brother?" Ozai said.

"Actually, Zuko did." Iroh said giving Zuko a gentle prod. Zuko raised his chin impressively.

"I appreciate your offer father. But I've decided that I would rather resume my search for the avatar." He said as boldly as he could.

"No." Ozai said giving Zuko a seething look. "No, the search for the avatar is a task I have entrusted to Admiral Zhao. It's too important to leave in the hands of a teenager. You will lead the forty-first in an attack against the city of Ba Sing Sei. If you succeed, then you will be welcomed back to the throne with honor. But if you fail, you will die." Ozai returned his attention once more to Katie who had begun brushing through her hair that was now almost to her shoulders. Zuko glanced over at his uncle and saw that he was completely shocked at Ozai's frankness.

"Ozai. The girl is not Zerita." Iroh said quietly. He too was beginning to see the danger of having broughther here. Ozai turned and shot a ball of flame at them. Working together they were barely able to hold back the immense heat of the attack. Ozai stopped and turned back to gaze across the courtyard once more.

"You will be watched prince Zuko. If you try to leave the palace, you will be captured and I will personally execute you. Your division ships out in four days. Leave me now." Iroh grabbed Zuko's arm and pulled him from the room quickly.

"I'm afraid you were right prince Zuko. I'm sorry I doubted you." Iroh muttered.

"It doesn't matter uncle. What am I supposed to do? The forty-first division has always been nothing but new recruits. There is no way I could take the capitol Earth city. I've been sentenced to death no matter which way I turn!" Iroh sighed, trying to think desperately for some advice to give his nephew, but nothing came to mind.

"We will meditate on this. Perhaps our ancestors have guidance they can give us." Iroh said placing a comforting hand on Zuko's shoulder.

"What am I going to tell Katie?" Zuko asked weakly.

"The only thing you should ever tell her. The truth. She's clever and may be able to give us ideas. And it would be good to prepare her for what may be coming." Iroh said. They walked the remaining distance to Zuko's room in silence.

"Thank you uncle." Zuko said placing a hand on the old man's shoulder. "Thank you for always standing beside me. You're the father I never had."

"And thank you for saying something so kind to a crazy old man." Iroh said gripping Zuko's shoulder in turn. Iroh turned and left to go back to his room and Zuko opened the door to his. Imoen had left and Katie was still out on the balcony watching the sun set over the ocean. Zuko stepped up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist, burying his face into her soft hair.

"So are you going to tell me what's going on?" Katie asked leaning back into his embrace. Zuko glanced across the courtyard at the grand balcony outside the throne room. A lone figure stood out watching the teenagers jealously. Zuko glared at that figure with all the hatred he could muster, wishing that some how he could strike the man dead from where he was standing.

"Yeah, I will. Come on. Let's go inside." Zuko pulled her back inside the room and closed the door.

* * *

Dun dun duuuunnnnn! Oh crap, tomorrow's monday. I'm dreading going back to school. If only I had filled all my credits last year. I've had senior-itis since last year when I was a junior. I just think my last year of high school is a waste of time. Especially my biology class. Anyways, please review. It would make me happy or whatever. 


	25. this un's a tearjerker!

Ya know, the best part about working for a mad scientist has to be the fact that I get to try out all his inventions. The guy I work with is working with physical and psychological healing through energy patters and stuff, so I got to try out this chair that stimulates brain waves. It was so freaking cool! I was covered with a blanket and just spun around really fast for fifteen minutes. The coolest part was that when I tilted my head to the side it felt like I was spinning upside down. It was neat but either my brain was already stimulated enough or I don't have one at all because I didn't have the tingling feeling in my head that he said I should have and I didn't feel really out of joint for the few hours afterwards like he said I would. Another great thing is that I don't have to drive anywhere for work tomorrow. He's going to have me grind ore in my dad's shop where he actually keeps half of his equipment. Anyhoo.

**Katara183: **I still don't know why my dad bit my arm. He didn't bite it hard, but it was really weird. I asked him what he was doing but he just walked off and didn't pay attention. It was weird. Yay! Gerbil commandos! Yes, I think Zuko was adorable when he was 14. I didn't mind the lock of hair though. My dad blew out our speakers because they were turned on and he began flipping circuit breakers on and off. So the just kind of 'kapoot'ed and it really sucked because we had just barely gotten them.

**Lovergall1227: **Thanx for your review. Ozai is the devil.

**Zukoscute2: **Aw, I'm really sorry to hear about your grandma. All of my grandparents died when I was about two except for my gramma K. It was really sad when she passed on a few years ago so I know how you feel.

**Khazia: **I can't help but be hard on myself. I'm a perfectionist. But i'm a lazy perfectionist. I read through a few early chapters and was like "GAHH! TYPOS!" I seriously think that my computer compresses words together once I submit something. Anyways. Your family thing sounds like a lot of fun. Sorry to hear about your back though. Is Mike's Hard Berries alcohol? Shame on you. J/K.

**xXFissshbonesssXx: **I can't stop myself from posting a chapter everyday. I'm obsessed and I feel incomplete when I don't. You'll just have to see what happens to our young prince, and yes, the avatar does come into play. It was my intntion to lull people with how Ozai was acting at the ball. I am planning ona conflict between Katie and Zula later on, but I don't quite know how it'll turn out just yet. I'll get an idea tonight as I fall asleep, I can assure you of that. To tell you the truth, I'm not into Anime at all. I really can't stand it actually, no offense to those that do. I was surprised to see that Avatar fit into the category. Now I will probably be stoned to death by all anime lovers.

**Titan09: **Augh, I wish the prodigy at my school was awkward. She's a volleyball star and just about the nicest person ever. It's not fair. Her brother is just as bad. He does bluegrass as well and plays the bass in our orchestra, but at the moment he's in Germany playing some brass instrument for a choir. Their whole family is a bunch of perfect people. I'll advertise your story, but pardon me if I don't read it myself. I've never seen an episode of Inuyasha so would therefore be lost. I still can't wait for your HB story though. Dang! I still need to read the one you do have posted. I'll review it tomorrow, I swear on my smileyfaced toe socks!

**O-dragon: **I've never had squid under my nails, but I come from an outdoorsy family so I'm very used to having fish scales stuck to my hands. Xel-ha (pronounced Shell ha) was in Cancun. It was way fun there. We founda little hermit crab crossing the sidewalk and we fed it to the fish. Then my dad was walking overa floating bridge just as a wave came up and a kind of geyser went right up his butt. It was hilarious, the safety guard was laughing his head off. I've never been to seaworld, but it sounds like a blast. You're so lucky, swimming with whales! Anyways. Thanx for your support in your review.There is a lil' sum'm sum'm like you suggested in this chapter.

**Athenera: **What play is it? I love theater even though I haven't been in a play in forever. In fifth grade I was Glinda in the wizard of Oz (Which made me mad because I really wanted to be the wicked witch of the west) and then I was some girl named 'Ford' in the Sixth Juror. Other than that the closest I've come to being in a play was when I played in the pit orchestra for Captain of the Pinnafore. Anyways. I thought I was going to be finished with this story by now, but apparently I was wrong. There may be yet _another _five or six or eight chapters left. All the better, right?

**Randomwriter88: **Hi there! Thanx for your support. I will most deffinitely continue.

**Elenea Galad: **Oh yay! You read my story! I'm glad you like it. And don't set Orlando Bloom free! Give him to me!

Okay, this chapter ain't too long, but it's way sad. At least I think it is anyways.

* * *

"So what exactly does all that mean?" Katie asked from where she was sitting on the bed. Zuko was standing across the room, leaning against the wall. He was afraid to look at her. 

"It means…that he wants me to die…so that he can have you." Zuko said quietly, staring at his boots.

"Then that's it. You're just going to go off and die?" Katie's voice cracked. Zuko finally lifted his gaze to her face and saw the tears streaming down her cheeks. He felt worse than ever. He had never seen her cry in sadness except that first night on his ship. He had comforted her then, but now he was afraid to. What if she blamed him for bringing her here and pushed him away. He didn't think he could take it. But it was worse to stand there and watch her cry. He sat down on the bed beside her and wrapped his arms around her shoulders, offering her what comfort he could. Katie wrapped her arms around him and sobbed silently into his chest.

* * *

Katie was in the state between sleep and consciousness when she felt a large warm hand caress her face. A pair of lips pressed themselves to hers and kissed her tenderly. Katie kissed them back, stretching her arms above her head and letting out a sigh of satisfaction. Something about those lips, while familiar, was off. She ignored it and allowed the kiss to deepen. A strong hand rested on her rib cage, gently rubbing her side. Katie brought a hand down and caressed the face pressed against hers. But she didn't feel the scar she was looking for. She opened her eyes and saw that it wasn't Zuko kissing her. She let out a cry of surprise and brought her elbow down as hard as she could against the side of the person's skull. The person pulled back with a shout and Katie found herself staring at Ozai. She looked around the room, but Zuko was nowhere to be seen. 

"WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING!" She screamed.

"Sssh, Zerita. Please calm down. You're confused." Ozai said softly, pleading at her with eyes of liquid gold.

"YOU'RE THE ONE THAT'S CONFUSED! I'M NOT ZERITA!" Katie scrambled out of bed, feeling extremely grateful that she had worn clothes to sleep in that night. She began circling around Ozai to get to the door.

"Zerita. I know they've filled your head with lies so they could have you for themselves. Don't worry, we can be together now."

"WHERE'S ZUKO?" Katie cried, tears began streaming down her face. Ozai stepped towards her holding out a comforting hand.

"Why must you think about him? He is nothing." Katie ran before he could get any closer. She ran out the door, down the hall and even though she knew he wasn't following her, she kept running until she was at the opposite end of the palace knocking as loudly as she could on Iroh's bedroom door.

"IROH! ARE YOU THERE? PLEASE OPEN THE DOOR!" she yelled. The door opened and Iroh rushed out to her, looking around for any danger she might be in.

"What's wrong Katie?" He asked seeing her pale, tear-stained face.

"Iroh, where's Zuko? Please tell me you know where he is!" Katie said grabbing his shoulders urgently.

"Yes, I do. He went down to the courtyard to watch the formations of his new division. Are you all right?" Katie nearly collapsed with relief. She leaned her back against the wall and sank to the floor, sobbing into her knees.

"Is everything all right General?" A voice asked meekly from inside the room. For the first time Katie realized that Iroh wasn't alone. Three men, all of which were as old or older than Iroh peered from the doorway with concern.

"Everything is fine. I will be back inside in a few minutes, go on and play without me." He told them and kneeled down next to Katie. "Now, tell me what has happened." He said placing a comforting arm around her shoulder. Katie hastily wiped her eyes.

"I was just afraid something had happened to him." She said. She didn't know why she didn't want to tell him about Ozai, maybe because she felt guilty for kissing the man back in her state of confusion. Besides, it wasn't like there was anything Iroh could do about it. But he seemed to see right through her.

"There's something you aren't telling me Katie. You're shaking like a leaf, please let me help you." She looked up into his face and began sobbing again. Between hiccups and tears, she told him about waking up with Ozai kissing her. When she had finished, Iroh's face was contorted in anger. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into a tight hug. She sobbed into his shoulder until there were no more tears left.

"Oh my gracious! Are you all right miss Katie?" Katie pulled her face away from Iroh's shoulder to see Imoen rush forward and crouch down beside them.

"Yeah, I'll be okay." She said pulling away from Iroh reluctantly. "I just really want to see Zuko right now."

"I'll take you to him. But first, let's get you some clothes. You can't be walking around in a nightgown all day, now can you?" Imoen said taking a hold on Katie's arm and pulling her to her feet. On the way back across the palace, Katie told Imoen about the circumstances she had waken up to.

"I guess it's just my luck. First Zhao, then Marius, now Ozai. Am I just cursed to attract deranged men?"

"I don't know. I can't say that I'm a deranged man so I don't know how they think." Imoen said with a small laugh. But Katie didn't feel like any amount of humor could cheer her up right now. She felt absolutely helpless. They finally reached Katie's room. Katie checked every corner carefully before getting changed behind a screen while Imoen chatted constantly to thin air. After she had put on a red tunic, black pants and boots, Katie tied her hair into a pair of pigtails at the base of her skull and followed Imoen downstairs and into the open courtyard. It wasn't hard to spot Zuko. He stood on the sidelines with a few older men, all of them were watching as nearly 300 soldiers went through various formations.

"I'd better leave you now." Imoen said, touching Katie's shoulder to get her attention. "I'm supposed to be in princess Zula's room within the next few minutes to help her dress herself."

"Thank you for being there for me today Imoen." Katie said giving her friend a hug. Imoen was a bit startled at first, but hugged Katie back happily.

"You are ever so welcome." She said then turned to leave before she incited Zula's wrath. Katie walked over to stand next to Zuko. He looked surprised to see her.

"How are you doing?" He asked, his face filled with concern.

"All right I guess. I've had a busy morning."

"Want to talk about it?"

"Yes. But not here." She said. Zuko nodded and wrapped an arm around her shoulder, pulling her closer to him. They had to watch the remaining formations and it took nearly an hour. Katie kept glancing up at the balcony outside the throne room. Ozai was always standing there, just watching her. She pressed herself closer to Zuko, trying to find comfort in his strong arms, but Ozai was so much stronger. It would be so easy for him to tear them away from each other. In fact he was already. The thought kept creeping up on her of Zuko's doom and it took all her strength to fight back the impeding tears. _We will find a way past this. _She kept telling herself. . Zuko had shown no sign of emotion when Katie told him about the events of that morning. But he did pace around the room for a few seconds before stepping outside and releasing some pent up fury in the form of a large fire blast.

Zuko decided to spend the last four days constantly at Katie's side. And so they went on as though living life normally with reading lessons and combat lessons, but it was always with the near future hanging over their heads. And it came all to soon. They woke up in each other's arms before sunrise the morning Zuko was to ship out. Katie had never cried so much in her life as she did in that hour, locked in his embrace, hoping to wake up back on his small ship and have everything just be a terrible nightmare. They tried to cherish their last few moments together, but it just wasn't enough. There was a light knock on the door summoning Zuko to oversee the proceedings at the dock. So after one deep kiss, he got up and pulled on his armor. Then he left the room.

Katie forced herself to get up and get dressed. She tried to make herself look nice for him, but she just couldn't muster the ambition. She felt ugly and incomplete. The sun rose almost of the sky before Katie finally left the room. She found Iroh and Imoen and walked with them down to the harbor. Zuko was waiting for them; he gazed out across the ocean. His back straight and his chin set, a look of determination in his eyes. He turned when they approached and immediately went to Katie, holding her tightly. The world disappeared as they stood there, time stood still just for them to have that one last moment together. But then through their bubble came the harsh sounds of the ship's horn. It was summoning all of the remaining men to board. Zuko took the chance to kiss Katie for as long as he could. But a soldier walked up to them awkwardly and said it was time to leave. Zuko squeezed his uncle's shoulder, kissed Katie one last time and turned to face his fate.

Katie remained standing on the dock even after the ship had disappeared from view. For three hours she just stood there. Alone and empty while people bustled past, completely intent with their lives and completely unaware that Zuko had been sent to his death. Katie hated those people. She hated that they were happy, that they had done nothing to stop this, that _she _hadn't done anything to stop it. The sun began to set when Katie felt a soft, warm hand rest gently on her shoulder. Her reaction was delayed, but after a few more seconds she turned to see Imoen standing behind her. Imoen wrapped a shawl around Katie and placed an arm around her shoulders. Without a word they headed back to the palace.

* * *

Like I said. Short and sad. And that there is what you call a cliffhanger. I'm just waiting for a plethora of hateful reviews! Bwahahaaa. I think I'll wait two or three days before posting the next chapter just to watch you all stew (evil grin).

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TitanO9 has a story ya'll should read. I don't know the title name of it, but just check Titan's profile page. It's an Inuyasha story that has a bit of avataryness! I don't know what Inuyasha is, but I'm sure a lot of you do and would just be thrilled to read it.


	26. I'm trying to avoid evil glares

Well, I got my senior pictures back. They aren't actually that bad. The only problem is that I look like a stoner. I must have been in the middle of blinking when she took the thing because I look like I'm fallings asleep. Augh, and I hated the drape they gave me to wear. I don't know why they thought to give me a small, but it stopped just short of my ribcage, so the entire world had the pleasure of viewing my belly. Gah! I went to an activity with my youth group. It was a blast. We played basketball with a volleyball and volleyball with a volleyball. Then we roasted hotdogs and I doctored a dogs foot. It was so fun. Then on the way home we told dumb jokes. Such as:

Two cows were standing in a field. One turned to the other and says "Hey, have you heard about that mad cow disease? Pretty scary stuff huh?" The other cow turns and says, "Yeah, makes me glad I'm a penguin."

Ha hahahahaa! I loved it. Or my personal favorite: What's the last thing that goes through a fly's mind when it hits the windsheild? Answer: It's butt.

**Elenea Galad: **Oh, just you wait and see. I will get Orlando in my clutches, I can dodge anything you can throw at me. I'm part squirrel!

**Lovergal1227: **Yes, Ozai is icky.

**Khazia: **Yay! I'm the devil!

**Zukoscute2: **Because I'm already married to Zuko! And contrary to popular belief, Mormons are not polygamists. And yes I am pure evil. I am, after all, the devil (check the shoutout right above this 'un).

**Athenera: **Gah! I'm sorry about your makeup! That play sounds tubular! I hope you make it.

**xXFissshBonesssXx: **Hey, I waited a little while to post this one! Nope, it's not the end quite yet, but we're getting there. Eventually. I actually am wearing sleeves right now, so I hope you're glad with what I pull out of them. And I'm glad you like Imoen.

**Titan09: **Wow, that was a random review! WHAT ARE YOU DOING CHAINING YOURSELF TO **MY **ZUKO?I love glow in the dark sox. I have a pair that are stars and moons. They rock my socks! Wait a minute...

**O-dragon: **Nope, I have never worked in a hardware store. I work for the mad scientist in his personal workshop. I do stuff like apply speakers to chairs and make magnet boards. He's been a friend of our family since before I was born. His wife hired me a few months ago to do some house cleaning and it just kind of morphed into me becoming his minion. I guess you can just start calling me Igor. And no, that wasn't the last chapter. This one is. Just kidding. I have several more to go yet.

**Randomwriter88: **Oooh! Cookies! I'm holding you to that!

**Sesshomaru's woman: **Interesting name. Who have you reviewed as before? Congrats on winning your marching thing. I feel the same way about writing this story. Who needs Biology anyways? Not me!

Alright. I now accept anonymous reviews. I didn't know that I wasn't accepting them before, so if you've been dying to review my story, you can do it now! Yay! And I've decided to make a huge change that isn't really relevant to the story. As before I pointed out my mistake of saying Zuko's b-day is August 28. Just pretend that I said his b-day is March 28. I was checking zodiac stuff and Zuko just seems like an Aries. Plus it makes the timeline a bit more correct and all that junk. Yipee Skipee! Now let's get on with this next chapter which I know ya'll are dying to read.

* * *

Katie spent the next few days in bed, just staring at the empty space beside her where Zuko had been not that long ago. Every now and then she would shift herself over and breath in his lingering scent from the pillow. Either Iroh or Imoen were in the room around the clock, urging her to eat or get out of bed. But Katie just couldn't see a purpose anymore. Zuko was gone forever and she had done nothing to stop it.

"Katie. You are going to get out of bed today, eat something and get some nice healthy exercise whether you like it or not." Imoen said angrily three days after Zuko's departure. "Look at you. You're a mess. I still don't see what you've been carrying on about. So your husband went to war. You'll see him again in a few months!" Katie still hadn't told Imoen about the circumstances. Iroh had sworn her to secrecy. So to amuse her friend she slowly sat up and felt a wave of nausea come over her. Some soup was brought up and Imoen forced Katie to eat it. The soup smelled wonderful, but it tasted like ash in Katie's mouth. Iroh came in a short time before Katie finished eating and Imoen rounded on him, practically commanding him to take her down to the training arena to get her moving.

"I don't think that would help lighten her mood all that much…" he said unsurely.

"No Iroh, Imoen's right. Just give me something to punch." Katie said, standing up and stepping behind a screen to get changed into a shirt and pants. She tied her hair back as she and Iroh walked down to the training area.

"Are you sure you're up to this?"

"Yes." She replied darkly.

"All right. But you've been lying down for three days straight. Take everything slowly, you don't want to hurt yourself." Iroh said.

"I don't think I can be hurt much more than I already have been." Katie said. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't stop her voice from shaking.

"Oh, I think you could hurt more." An oily voice said from behind them. Katie looked back to see Zula coming up from behind them. "So you're taking the arena today? That's good. I've been looking for someone to practice on. Of course, only if you're up to it." She said politely as though the two of them were old friends.

"Katie is getting over an illness right now Zula. Do not antagonize her…" Iroh began but Katie interrupted him.

"Zula, I would love to." Katie said standing up a little straighter. There were two young soldiers already using the arena when they arrived, so Katie and Zula both took the opportunity to warm up. Katie warmed her muscles and began stretching as though she were about to run a marathon. All the while she kept Zula in her sight, watching the way she moved and trying to get an understanding of her strengths and weaknesses. Zula was a very thin person. Katie could tell right away that speed and agility wouldn't be a problem for her. But Zula was a good four inches shorter and twenty pounds lighter than Katie. She didn't have nearly the muscle mass that Katie possessed, but Katie didn't dare try to underestimate the girl. She knew that Zula had endured fifteen years of hard training. All Katie had under her belt were a few months of lessons and ten years of physical labor. Another factor was the fact that Zula was a firebender. This was only an exercise, but Katie didn't dare put anything past her opponent.

"Zula, you will not use firebending in any form. Katie, if you get tired all you have to do is give me the word." Iroh said to the two girls once the arena was cleared. Both of them nodded and took positions at opposite ends of the mat. Zula immediately began spinning and kicking the air as she advanced towards Katie, obviously a method of intimidation. Katie stood her ground and watched Zula's movements carefully, trying to calculate her pattern and predict her next step. The fight began slowly enough. Katie dodged Zula's attempts to attack, conserving energy and always watching. Zula finally kicked at Katie and was close enough that Katie had to slap the foot away to keep it from hitting her. Katie knew what Zula was doing. Lulling her into a false sense of security with these mediocre fighting skills, so she played along pretending to put down her guard and become cocky. Katie watched Zula's yellow eyes and sure enough, she saw the attack Zula had planned for her in their depths a fraction of a second before Zula struck. Katie leapt out of the way and crouched down, swinging her ankle around to knock Zula's feet out from under her, but Zula jumped over the foot at the last second and rolled. There were no pretences now. They both knew that the other meant business.

Zula ran at Katie using her best weapon, speed. Katie barely dodged Zula's hands as they struck at her and moved in as close as she could. This way, Zula wasn't able to strike with as much force in the enclosed space between them. Katie bent almost double and ran at Zula. She hit her in the stomach and tackled her to the ground as hard as she could. The air was knocked from Zula and it took a few seconds for her to recover. She got to her feet and glared at Katie while trying to hold back a few remaining coughs. Katie had sweat streaming down her face, but was surprised that she wasn't yet out of breath. She felt more full of energy than any other time in her entire life. In fact, she was buzzing with it. Katie and Zula continued with their little dance. One would punch and the other would either block or avoid. Iroh watched closely from the sidelines trying to refrain from calling out tips to Katie to improve her form. Then Zula landed a hard kick to Katie's stomach, nearly knocking her backwards. Katie looked around, suddenly feeling dazed. Her head was buzzing, she felt as though she was going blind with a wave of intense vertigo. Something hard hit her in the chest from out of nowhere and she faintly heard Iroh yelling at Zula to stop until Katie was back on her feet. Katie shook her head and it finally began to clear. Zula was smirking at her, obviously thinking she was weak after her reaction to the one blow. Katie really couldn't explain it. She shook her head and the remaining buzzing cleared away.

"Are you all right Katie?" Iroh asked, suddenly at her side.

"Yeah. I'm okay." Katie said stepping away from him and taking up a defensive stance. She could feel something boiling in the pit of her stomach. It was all the hate and fear and sadness from the last week. She felt so much of these emotions that she actually felt a literal burning in her chest. Sweat began streaming from her forehead as she watched Zula advance. Katie decided then that she hated her sister-in-law. She was the embodiment of her father. There was nothing there but evil and spite. For all Katie knew, Zula held as much a part in Zuko's sentence as her father. So when Zula came within range, everything disappeared but pure instinct and the burning hatred. Katie dodged Zula's foot from mid-air and swung it around. Zula lost her balance and was thrown to the floor. She jumped to her feet immediately, her eyes blazing.

She punched at Katie with all the strength she possessed. Katie dodged it but wasn't prepared as a second fist came around and hit her in the stomach, hard. Katie had managed to flex her stomach at the last second so the blow didn't have nearly the effect it should have. Every punch Katie had thrown had been restrained because this had been a training exercise, but now it was a battle. Katie brought her fist up in an uppercut and nailed Zula in the chin. Zula stumbled back, blood was streaming from her lip. Anger and hatred distorted her features making her look even more like her father than ever before. A flaming ball appeared in her fist. Iroh began running towards the two girls to stop the imminent blow. But there was no way for him to get there in time. Katie held her arms over her face and closed her eyes, but she could still see the flash of the fireball as it was thrown at her. She braced herself and felt the force and weight of the flame. But she didn't feel the heat. She had been forced backwards a few feet, but the flame had not touched her. It had circled around her body.

Katie looked over at Iroh in confusion, but he merely gaped back at her. Katie looked back at Zula and saw the same astonished look on her own face. But it soon vanished as Zula began throwing more fire attacks at her sister-in-law. Katie let out a yelp of fright and held her arms up as before. Once again she felt the immense weight of the flame knocking her backwards but still the flames didn't touch her. Zula sent one last powerful blast at Katie, which she tried to block as before. But her strength felt sapped and she didn't know why. The powerful attack hit her hard and she was knocked off her feet. Katie lay on the mat trying to gasp for breath. Zula began walking towards her, another fireball appearing in her hand. Iroh began advancing once more but Zula ignored his cries and lifted her fist to land a deadly strike. Katie felt the buzzing energy once more encompass her body. It came so quickly and so powerfully that she almost cried out in pain as it filled her. It was too much for her body. She felt like she was going to explode. And she did. A tidal wave of flame erupted from her body, lashing out in every direction. The floor mat around her burned away within seconds until the only part untouched was the small island she was still sitting on. The flames continued to rage from her body. She couldn't see Iroh or Zula anymore, but then again she really couldn't see much of anything. The brightness of the flame burned her eyes. She screamed in agony as the flames rushed from her pores, the heat began scalding her skin, but she couldn't stop the torrent. She was releasing too much. That much she knew. But she couldn't control it. And slowly her vision began to fade and she fell into a heap on the burning floor.

* * *

_It's so cold._ Katie thought to herself as her vision began to clear. She was shivering uncontrollably, she knew it was almost summer, but it felt like December. Her vision was blurry when she tried to look around, she could see shapes moving around and could tell that she was back in her own room, in her own bed. But why was she so cold? Her shivering was so bad she felt as though she was going to vomit. She felt a weight settle next to her and a pair of hands reached under her covers and began rubbing her arms. The hands were so warm! The face peered close enough for her to see that it was Iroh. She tried to ask him what had happened, but her teeth were chattering and her entire body was shaking with convulsions. She couldn't get the words out.

"Do not worry Katie, you will be all right in a few minutes. Just try to breathe and calm down." Iroh said softly. "Just breathe slowly. In. Out. In. Out." Katie focused on his voice and doing as he said. After her breathing had calmed she went inside her own mind like she had done a hundred times before during school when she had forgotten her coat. _Alright girl. Just stop shaking. It's doing nothing for you. Just relax and stop shaking. It's not that cold. You're from Utah, you can handle a little chill like this. _Gradually she forced herself to calm down. The horrible cold was still there, but at least she wasn't spazzing out anymore. "Very good." Iroh muttered, still rubbing her arms with his warm hands. After a few more seconds, the goosebumps began to disappear.

"What happened?" Katie asked weakly.

"I don't know. You were there, what happened?" Iroh said, still rubbing her arms.

"I…blew up?" Katie said shooting Iroh a look for confirmation.

"I guess you did."

"But I'm not a firebender! How could I do that? And why am I so cold?" Katie asked. She tried to move, but her entire body stung. She felt as though she had been sunburned. Iroh watched her, biting his lip gently thinking about her question. He reached under her covers and pulled out her right hand.

"The most I can figure is that the night you married Zuko, and the two of you shared blood, you ended up sharing a little bit more." He said tracing the deep scar across her palm.

"But there was barely any blood! There wasn't enough for me to miraculously become a firebender anyways." Katie said, staring at her palm.

"I think there was. The problem is that you suddenly have an immense amount of power, but no control. The fire we create comes from inside us. When you 'blew up' yesterday, you unleashed just a little too much fire. That is why you are so cold, your body used all it's heating resources for that one flame." Iroh said, still rubbing her arms.

"But still. How could I have made something that big?" Katie asked hoarsely.

"Because, when a firebender is born, their abilities are unleashed gradually. Like a muscle it takes exercise and practice for it to grow stronger. You were given a big muscle without any exercises to know how to use it. It also doesn't help that Solzen's comet is growing closer. As a new bender I'm sure you can percept it before the rest of us."

"Solzen's comet?" Katie asked. She vaguely remembered the name from a lifetime ago.

"Yes. There is a prophecy that when the comet comes, it will grant the fire lord the power to end the war forever." Iroh said bringing up one warm hand and placing it on Katie's face. The warmth felt so wonderful and Katie was so tired, she just wanted to close her eyes and drift off to sleep. But the cogs and wheels had begun spinning in her head. She summoned enough strength to push Iroh's hand away and glanced around at the other people in the room. There was a doctor and two of the old men that had been playing Pi Sho with Iroh that morning when Katie had woken up to disgusting circumstances. There was also, of course, Imoen who walked over to Katie with a hot bedpan, which she shoved between the sheets.

"Uncle, can I speak to you alone about something personal?" Katie asked glancing around at all the people, trying to signal them to go away. They all did immediately except Imoen who huddled around uncertainly. Katie gave her an apologetic glance, Imoen nodded and left as well.

"And what exactly is this personal problem. Are you sure it isn't something Imoen is more qualified to handle?" Iroh asked.

"When is the comet supposed to come?"

"In three days."

"And when do you think Zuko will reach the Earth Kingdom capitol?"

"It usually takes two or three weeks to get there from here. Why do you ask?"

"I think I know how we can save him!" Katie said excitedly, trying to sit up in bed.

"And how do you propose we do that?"

"The avatar! If he can defeat Ozai before he gets his hold on the comet's power, someone else will take control of the nation and Zuko doesn't have to fight!"

"Katie, I'm afraid it's not that simple. It has been prophesied that the fire lord will get the power…"

"So! We'll change it! I don't believe in destiny Iroh. I know we can still save Zuko and even if it is a long shot, I'm willing to try!" Katie said, finally gathering the strength to sit up. "How about you. Are you with me?" She said holding out her hand. Iroh looked at it for a minute, and then shook it with a sigh.

"You know, when I retired I was expecting a life much different from this."

* * *

Zuko stood on the deck of his ship staring out at the setting sun. How many sunsets had he watched with Katie at his side? He felt a pang of regret at the whirlwind he had put her in by taking her to his home. He feared what his father would do to her now that she was defenseless. He only hoped that Iroh would be able to protect her. But his uncle was growing old, he couldn't protect her forever. Zuko began hoping that she had found some way to escape and return to the life she had been living before they had met. Whatever life that was. Over the time he spent thinking about her, he realized how little he knew of where she came from. Normally he would begin growing suspicious. But he loved her too much to dare let an untrusting thought enter his head. He heaved a sigh and glared at the hues of orange and red in the eastern sky.

"Sir?" Zuko nearly jumped out of his skin when a young officer stepped up beside him.

"What is it!" he demanded

"There is a message for you sir. It was sent by falcon." The officer said, holding out a sealed letter. Zuko snatched it from him and watched to make sure he was out of sight before looking down at the paper in his hands. Indeed, his name was scrawled across the top clumsily. Zuko immediately recognized Katie's handwriting. He opened the letter hastily. There wasn't much and it had to be deciphered. Katie still wasn't too talented at Chinese characters. But he did manage to figure it out:

_Dear Zuko,_

_I have a plan that can save you. It may be completed before you get to Ba Sing Sei, but if not try to stall. I love you and am praying for you._

_Katie._

Her name was written in the weird series of squiggles and curves that she had once shown him, but he could tell what it was. At the bottom of the page was a red blotch, which on closer inspection appeared to be a lip imprint. Zuko smiled and kissed it. He tucked the paper inside his breastplate, just above his heart and turned back to watch the sunset with new hope.

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At first I wasn't going to make myself a bender, but this is a bandwagon story so I figured "what the hey!" Everyone else is doing it! he he hee. Hmm, I need to get some sleep.

**REVIEW!**

Ha! Scared ya.


	27. I felt like being random GAH!

Hmm, we got our student I.D pictures taken at the college I go to for half the day. It was so fun. These guys made little signs to hold in their pictures saying "prisoner number 018771" or whatever. It was so cool, but then the silly picture taker-er wouldn't let them use it on their ID cards and made them do a retake. I was so glad that they let me get mine redone. My eyes were half closed, so for my second one I made them bug out of my head. And that's the picture I kept. Do you know what's a really weird food combo? Carrots and M&M's. I picked some carrots from our garden and was eating them while watching Van Helsing today and my nephew started throwing M&M's at me. So I ate them. It actually didn't taste to bad. Hmm. One bad thing about being able to play a musical instrument is that people ask you to play for various things all the time. For example, I was in the middle of typing this chapter today when someone from my church who I do not know at all calls up and asks me to play a song on sunday in her gospel doctrine class. Usually they give me a weeks notice or whatever. Luckily it's a cool song. Now I just need to decide on if I want to use my regular violin or one of my multi colored ones that I got off of ebay for a penny. Which onedo you guys think I should play the song on? Natural wood, black, bright green or metallic purple (the metallic purple one isn't really as cool looking as it sounds).

**Elenea Galad: **If you're happy, then I'm happy. And I'll be coming for Orlando tonight while you are sleeping peacefully in your little bed. Oops, did I type that out loud?

**Zukoscute2: **I don't know if I want to see you if you're a little devil. You may overpower my own devilishness.

**Khazia: **All of your questions will be answered. Speaking of questions, what was your doctor's verdict as to your health? IS IT A GIRL? Just kidding.

**Lovergal1227: **Geez! What am I? A machine? Just kidding. I'm glad you're so into my story.

**Randomwriter88: **(screams as mountain of cookies falls on head "well, guess I'll have to eat my way out. munchgrumblemunchmunchsnort). Go ahead and feel free to threaten all those non-bleivers cough-kissingoffintotheair-cough-cough!

**Titan09: **Aha! So Zuko isn't really off to fight war against Ba Sing Sei! Ozai gave him to you to become your closet slave. You feind! Just kidding. Hope ya don't mind, I'm using you in a spoofy thing at the end of this chapter. And. Yeah, I kept thinking my 'splosion sounded like a Liz one while I was writing about it.

Well, this is it. It's kinda short...but oh well. YOU GET IT AS IT IS YOU BLOODSUCKERS!

* * *

Iroh would not let Katie leave her room and made a large effort to keep her in bed. She shoved away any attempts to apply ointment to her burns, she just couldn't sit still now that her mind was spinning with how to help Zuko. She had snuck out of the room a few times in the attempt to get down to the village so she could listen for news of the avatar's whereabouts, but Iroh had placed guards around her door. She let out a frustrated yell and began pacing around the room like a caged animal. 

"You really should settle down." Iroh said as he walked into the room to check up on her.

"How can I settle down at a time like this? Can't you please just let me go out and try looking for Aang?" Katie demanded.

"No, I can't. You need to sit down and think, Katie. In case you don't know, my brother is having you watched closely. I am doing all I can to find your avatar friend, but you would only be jeopardizing everything if you so much as leave this room." Iroh said, he pulled a cushion from a cupboard and placed it on the floor in front of the immense dragon shrine.

"I can't just stand around and do nothing! I'm going insane!" Katie said, clenching her fists. The small flame in the lanterns around her suddenly flared causing her to jump in surprise.

"Sit down next to me. You aren't going to be doing nothing, you are going to be training your abilities." Iroh said sitting down on the cushion and patting the place next to him invitingly. "It is very important that you learn to control your bending before there's another accident."

"Oh yeah, how's Zula doing?" Katie asked guiltily.

"She will be fine. She had some small burns and singeing but she managed to block most of the fire. The most damage was done to her hands. She held them out to stop the flame, but it's something she's never had to do before and wasn't ready for it."

"I bet she's out for my hide now." Katie said with a sigh and sat down next to Iroh.

"I'm sure she will be, especially after her father sentences her." Iroh said sadly, he took on a meditative position and closed his eyes.

"Sentenced!" Katie cried.

"Yes. She is being tried today because she attacked you and you _are_ closer to the crown than she is."

"But Zhao attacks Zuko all the time and he's never had a trial!" Katie said.

"But…there are different circumstances where you are concerned. Now close your eyes and focus on your breathing." Iroh said, closing his own eyes.

"What will happen to her? What will her sentence be?" Katie asked, not ready to give up the conversation just yet. Iroh sighed.

"That depends on her father who has as much affection for her as he does for Zuko. Her future looks just as bleak as her brother's. Now close your eyes and breath deeply. Feel the flame on the candle and feel the bond between its energies and yours." Iroh said going on with the meditation lesson. Katie let out a sigh of defeat and did as he told her. She was surprised at how quickly she lost herself in this exercise once she got the hang of it. She had always made fun of Zuko when he would go into his tranquil state, but now she understood. She mastered controlling the flames around her quite easily. Then Iroh showed her the steps of making a small flame ball in the palm of her hand. This is where things went wrong. She created the flame, but the only thing she could compare the feeling to was making a leak in a dam. She felt the fire immediately build inside of her as it had done before. She knew she wouldn't be able to hold it back. As she reached the brink of releasing the flame she felt a large hand rest on her forehead and the heat was subdued. Katie could still feel the pressure in her heart and rubbed her hand over her chest trying to shake the feeling.

"Now can I leave the room?" She asked Iroh once she caught her breath. Iroh frowned slightly at her. "I'm not going to look for Aang. I just need to go for a walk around the grounds."

"I'll send for Imoen to accompany you." Iroh said standing up and leaving the room. Katie took the opportunity to wipe sweat from her face and try to force her heart rate down. Imoen arrived within minutes and they took a walk around the grounds.

"So how are you feeling my dear?" Imoen asked. They had been walking in silence all the way down to the courtyard. The sun had set and lanterns had been lit inside the palace causing the whole place to glow.

"I don't know. I'm really scared I guess. I already had enough on my plate to be afraid for. Fear for Zuko's safety, fear for my safety. Now I can feel this power inside me and I can't control it at all. I'm afraid of what will happen if I lose it and explode again." Katie said, wrapping her arms around herself. The warm night seemed so cold to her now.

"Well don't worry. Iroh is one of the greatest firebenders that has ever lived. Within no time you will be a master of your gift." Imoen said pulling off one of her many shawls and handing it to Katie who accepted it gratefully. They sat down on a bench in one of the beautiful gardens. Kate gazed around at the palace. When she blurred her eyes it was as though she was surrounded by fairy lights.

"Iroh said Zula is going to be sentenced today…" Katie began.

"No, she's being sentenced right now." Imoen said, nodding towards the balcony of the throne room. There was a sinister red glow illuminating from the window and shadows danced around in Katie's vision. Katie sighed and stood up. Without a backward glance, she walked back up to the palace, unaware and uncaring whether or not Imoen followed her. The door to the throne room was wide open. A crowd of fire nation people blocked Katie's view of the room but she could hear a loud, harsh voice over their heads.

"…THE COUNCIL HAS SEEN THAT YOU'RE ACTIONS WERE PROOF OF THE MARK OF YOUR DISGRACE. YOU WILL HEREBY BE STRIPPED OF YOUR TITLE, ZULA. YOUR CROWN IS FORFEIT AND SO IS YOUR LIFE IF YOU EVER SET FOOT ON FIRENATION SOIL. TO MAKE SURE YOU REMEMBER THIS, YOU ARE TO ENDURE TWENTY LASHES. YOU ARE NO DAUGHTER OF MINE"

There was no other sound in the room other than the fire lord's words and the wails and sobs emitting from Zula. Katie felt like she was going to be sick. She had never liked Zula. She had found her sister-in-law to be a contempt, bitter hag. But it killed her inside to see her treated like this. Katie felt Imoen place a gentle hand on her shoulder, trying to lead her away from the throne room. But Katie pulled out of her grasp and shoved through the group of people until she was standing at the very front of the crowd so she could have a full view of the proceedings. Zula was kneeling on the ground, rocking back and forth her wails reaching only deaf ears. Ozai was, as always when in the presence of others, sitting on a cushion behind a wall of flame. Ozai made a motion with his hand, and on the signal a group of people stepped forward. Two were carrying chains and one was carrying a whip. Zula shrieked louder at the sight of them, but didn't put up any resistance as one of the people cut away Zula's shirt. She was wearing nothing underneath except a black breast strap, Katie could see a few burn marks on her body. As the eyes of two hundred people watched, Zula was dragged between two pillars. Her thickly bandaged wrists and ankles were bound so that her arms and legs were stretched out to her side. The man with the whip stepped forward. He wasn't wearing a shirt and his arms and chest bulged impressively.

"STOP IT!" Someone screamed. It took Katie a few seconds to realize that it had been her. Everyone turned to her, astonished that she would speak out. There was no turning back now. Taking a deep breath she trudged onto the main floor and walked boldly over to the flogger. He was too amazed at her boldness to fight back when she grabbed the whip from him. She cracked it menacingly and he immediately backed out of range. "You people are sick! How can you treat one of your own like this. Especially you!" she said, turning to Ozai. "This girl is your daughter for crying out loud. YOUR DAUGHTER!" Ozai stood up slowly and began walking forward. A rift appeared in the firewall for him to walk through.

"Zerita, please calm down, you've been through a trauma and…" he said in a voice that was completely different from the one he had been using only minutes before.

"I'M NOT ZERITA! HOW MANY TIMES DO I HAVE TO TELL YOU THAT BEFORE IT MAKES IT THROUGH YOUR CRAZY LITTLE HEAD?" Katie screamed. She held out her hand and closed the flame around Ozai. He jumped forward before he was burned and shot Katie a look of fury. But it melted away almost immediately.

"That…monstrosity…attacked and nearly killed you. You do not need to feel pity for it." He said softly. Katie cracked the whip in his direction, causing him to freeze.

"I give her full pardon for her actions." Katie said, lifting her chin and trying to look as regal as possible. Ozai gave her a shrewd look, then turned to the servants who had chained Zula in the first place.

"Release her. ZULA, YOU HAVE BEEN SPARED YOUR LASHINGS BY THE MERCY OF SOMEONE FAR GREATER IN SPIRIT AND HONOR THAN YOU. BUT YOUR BANISHMENT STILL STANDS. YOU HAVE UNTIL SUNDOWN TOMORROW TO BE GONE FROM THE PALACE." Zula dropped to her hands and knees when her wrists were released. Katie dropped the whip and hurried to her side, wrapping the shawl Imoen had given her around Zula's shoulders.

"Are you all right?" she asked, trying to help Zula stand up. Zula shoved Katie's hands away and shot her the most hateful glare Katie had ever received. Without a word, Zula was on her feet and she dashed from the room. The crowd parted for her like the Red sea. Katie watched her go sadly. Then she felt a strong, warm hand rest gently on her shoulder. She glanced around and saw Ozai begin to kneel down beside her. Katie copied Zula's actions. She threw away his hand, shot a glare and stormed from the room.

* * *

"That was a very brave and noble thing you did today Katie." Iroh said quietly, walking into the room. Katie jumped at the sudden sound of his voice and whirled around. She had been sitting in front of the dragon shrine going through the exercises he had shown her, but she was afraid to try making her own flame without him there to stop her if things go out of hand. 

"Oh. Thanks." She said, turning back around to resume her meditation. She really didn't know what she was feeling right now. She knew she just wanted to be alone. There were only two days left before Solzen's comet entered the atmosphere. She was growing extremely worried as to whether or not Aang would make it in time. _He'd better get here, otherwise it'll be a crappy way to end a good cartoon. _She thought to herself. This led to more thoughts about the place she was in. How could she be in a cartoon world? Was she on TV at this very instant? This only made her feel even more awkward. What if the entire world saw her when she picked her nose a few minutes ago? But that was silly and she quickly shoved those thoughts aside, concentrating on her breathing and her connection to the plasma on the end of the wick in front of her. Memories entered her mind unbidden. She remembered asking her science teacher what fire was a few years ago. Like what element it was because it wasn't a solid, liquid or gas. Now she had such an understanding for fire. But she just couldn't explain it.

"Would you like to speak to me about how you are feeling? It always helps to talk about these things." Iroh said, interupting her rambling mind and sitting next to her.

"I really don't. I just want to be by myself if you don't mind." Katie said. Iroh nodded and left her to be by herself. Katie let out a sigh of frustration. She had lost her concentration now. She walked out onto her balcony and stared out at the black ocean in the distance. Moonlight danced on the waves. Katie loved the moon. She loved it's mystery. She stared at it for nearly an hour, just letting her mind float from thought to thought. One moment she was crying for Zuko, the next she was laughing quietly about some memory. All the while she stared at the moon and as she watched she saw something float into her line of vision. A silhouette appeared on the surface of the moon, a silhouette that looked like a blob.A bison shaped blob. Katie felt her stomach soar at the sight of Appa. She strained her eyes to watch him land somewhere in the depths of the forestoutside the city boundaries. Katie ran out the door. She commanded on of the guards to go fetch Iroh. Her hope was refreshed. _Zuko will be alright!_

_

* * *

_

THIS NEXT PART IS JUST FOR FUN AND IS IRREVELANT TO THE STORY! I HOPE YOU DON'T MIND TITAN09, BUT I JUST HAD TO DO IT! THE LAST CHAPTERS HAVE JUST BEEN SO BLASTED SAD AND BORING. (Evil grin)

* * *

Zuko awoke under strange circumstances. His arms and legs were bound behind his back with tight ropes and he was lying on the floor of a very small dark room. He burned the ropes away easily and stood up. He began banging on the walls around him.

"WHERE AM I? LET ME OUT!" He yelled.

"It's for your own protection Zuko!" An unfamiliar voice said from the other side of the wall. Zuko immediately shifted his attack to this wall, trying to blast his way out. "Don't do that! You're in there to be protected from the fangirls!" the voice cried.

"Fangirls? What the crap? Who are you? How did I get here?"

"You're not really here silly, you're fake."

"Oh. Okay."

* * *

Sorry about that. I just felt like being dumb. For those of you wondering what that was all about, Titan09 currently has Zuko locked in their closet. Woohoo! Tomorrow's friday. (do the happy for the weekend dance). Kay, go ahead and review now. And remember, I need your help in deciding which violin I should play on sunday. 


	28. gazes at screen hoping for inspiration

Well, I've decided to compare writing this story to ridinga bike up a very steep hill. Once you get almost to the top you start to slow down and burn out. But then once you get to the top you get to fly down the other side. Well, this chapter is the slow down and burn out chapter. I just had no idea what to write which is why I didn't update yesterday. But don't worry, it's all smooth sailing from here on out because we're going downhill. EVERYONE PUT YOUR HANDS IN THE AIR! WOOOOoooo! Anyways, news about my life. Me and my dad were planning on driving up the canyon tomorrow morning so he could show me this spot where he has his treestand set up. If you go early enough these huge bull elk come right beneath and start bugeling to each other. But then after working all day today we decided that waking up tomorrow at four in the morning was just a tad too early. But that's okay, I've heard elk bugle before. Man, but today was a rough day. I can't begin to express how good it felt to take a steaming hot bath and scrape and inch of dirt off myself.

**Lovergal1227: **Glad you loved the chapter despite the awkward ending. Yes, Ozai is still evil and until I sneak him some anesthesia and get him on an operating table to remove his brain, I don't think it's going to change.

**Zukoscute2: **Yay indeed.

**Khazia: **Doctors are stupid. My family really doesn't believe in them so I haven't been to one since I was about six. We're all into natural remedies, so if you get sick in my house, out comes the garlic, echennecia and silver water. Then your expected to go outside and work because fresh air is good for you. I think I should re-read this story myself. I'm beginning to forget what I've written. I tend to do that, it's weird. About my eyes. They are really dark hazel. Like super dark. From a distance they usually look black, gray or dark brown depending on what I'm wearing, but close up you can tell that they're a dark olive green color. Like a sort of camoflauge green. So if I open my eyes really wide you can't see me!

**O-dragon: **This story basically _is _a novel by now. I think I'm up around 150 pages, but maybe it's more by now. I should go through a count them. This is the longest thing I've ever written. I've never played an electric violin, but I love the sound of them. I really love the sound of the Norwegian fiddle. It's what plays the music in LOTR whenever the people of Rohan come on screen. Yay! Texan talk! Don't worry, I myself talk like a farmer. My accent is even more pronounced when I'm around my dad.

**Titan09: **I'M COMING ZUKO BABY! J/K. I agree with everything you said and I loved that spongebob episode. My favorite spongebob quote would have to be: SB-"PATRICK! ARE YOU READY TO GET CRAAAZY?" P-"I'M ALREADY HEARING VOICES!" About the green violing. It was sad, I really did want to play that one, but I pulled it out and was tuning it when the bridge snapped. So I'll probably just play my black one tomorrow. By the way, Athenera says she's coming for Zuko, so you'd better watch your back!

**Athenera: **Oh, I'm writing I'm writing! cough-slavedriver-cough-cough! J/K. Luv ya gurl!

**Blue 1/2: **I really didn't know I wasn't accepting anons. I don't think Zula will be coming back into the story, at least I don't have anything planned for her right now but you never know if that is going to change. If you have any good ideas for her, I'd love to hear them. I wish I was good at running. I tried picking it up at the beginning of this summer, but I quickly gave it up. I like running when it's involved in sports or I have scenery to look at, but just plain running is too boring for me. So I'm an out of shape lard sitting here typing at my little keyboard. J/K.

**Randomwriter88: **DON'T WORRY RW88! I'LL SAVE YOU! (grabs innocent pedestrian and uses it to beat away nonbelievers)

**Blue striped White Boxers: **Wow, next to Suave Boogie, you have to have the sweetest name ever! I like to writes me a good cliche. I think they're easier because, heck, they've already been done before! I think everyone writes about Zuko because he's the deepest character on the entire show and people just have a tendancy to appreciate the character with a tortured past. Plus he's just so dern hot! If I write anything after this story on I think it will be parodies because I love stories that are hilarious and make no sense. You can't really take me serious most of the time either. No thanx about the cookies though. I'm still trying to get myself through the 12 dozen that RandomWriter88 blasted me with a few chapters ago. And no, I don't have an account of fictionpress, but I think I oughta get one. I have several stories in my head that I would like to get out into the open. But I think I'll finish this one first because I'm not much of a multi-tasker.

* * *

Katie paced around the room in irritation. Iroh had assured her that he would do anything possible to get word to the avatar that there were allies in the palace. And yet she felt like a caged animal. She felt trapped and her mind was clouded with frustration. A soft knock on her door around three in the morning snapped her back to reality.

"Come in!" She called, hoping upon hope that it was Iroh behind the door. But instead it was a tired looking messenger.

"My lady, firelord Ozai wishes to speak with you in the throneroom." The man said, bowing respectfully.

"Tell him to shove it." Katie said and resumed pacing. She looked up a few seconds to see that the messenger was still there. "What?"

"Um, the firelord gave me specific instructions to escort you to the throneroom."

"Well I ain't goin'. So beat it." Katie said. She had never been this rude to a complete stranger in her entire life, but to her everyone in this palace was just as evil as Ozai.

"I, um…"

"I SAID GET OUT!" Katie yelled, commanding the fire in the lanterns around the door with her mind and pulling them into the open. The messenger squeaked in surprise and scuttled away as the flames chased him halfway down the hall. Sweat began streaming down Katie's face. She felt the energy growing inside her. She closed her eyes and thought deeply about her breathing, about her heartbeat, and just about everything else her body did to keep itself in check. In her mind she saw her energies and functions as thought they were a glow of different colors, using deep concentration she put them in their places. When she opened her eyes the welling energy had subsided. But the anger and frustration was still there. She needed to release some steam. She pulled on her pajama pants and a tunic and stepped boldly out of the room, daring either of the two guards still posted outside to make a move to stop her. Katie was glad to see lanterns lit around the training arena. She stepped onto the charred floor and began punching the air. Gradually she fell into the fighting and gymnastics moves Zuko had taught her. She had come a long way from a girl who could barely hold her own three months earlier. She kept this up until she was exhausted. She just stood in the center of the arena for a few minutes, trying to slow down her breathing.

She closed her eyes and felt a refreshing breeze drift in from the pane-less windows. She could feel something else as well. She could feel the flames in the lanterns. She reached out and pulled at them one by one. Soon the small globules of light surrounded her. She swirled them around her head, losing herself in the motions. Then she held up her hand and did as Iroh had instructed her to create a flame of her own, all the while she kept the lantern fire rotating around her head. She closed her eyes and made a channel for some of her internal fire to escape through her palm. It was extremely difficult and she almost lost her grip on control, but when she opened her eyes there was a small flame floating just above her hand. It was entirely different from the fire in the air; this one had come from a different source.

"That is quite impressive." A voice said softly. Katie nearly lost her hold on the lantern flames. She whipped around and saw Ozai standing up on the balcony above her.

"What do _you _want?" Katie demanded, turning her back on the firelord.

"I want you to stop hating me…_Katie_. I want you to show me the same mercy and compassion that you showed my unworthy children."

"And what makes you think that _you _are worthy?"

"Because whether you want to believe it or not you are my wife. Your name is Zerita and I love you more than life itself."

"Ozai, I'm not Zerita. My name is Katie. I was born and raised on a farm in Utah. I'm seventeen and I've been married to your son for little over a month. Just look at me and you'll see that I'm not your wife." Katie said pleadingly, turning back to face Ozai.

"I am looking at you. And I see my Zerita's face. I see her eyes and I see her fire…"

"But you don't see her soul, Ozai. I'm a completely different person, even if I do look like her." Ozai pursed his lips and turned away.

"You will see. The solstice is tomorrow; the comet will be over the pinnacle at sunset. Then you will remember who you are." Ozai said, he didn't wait for a reply but disappeared. Katie heaved a sigh and went back to the flames in the air. She brought them all together to mingle with the flame she had created to make a ball almost as big as herself. Then an idea came to her. She focused everything on the fire in front of her. She forced every flickering spike to bend to her will. It took some getting used to, but after half an hour she had created a sculpture of fire. She had made it to look like Zuko just because it was the first thing that came to mind. After she stared into the face for a few seconds she began moving the fire once more, forming it into shape after shape. She made it into every family member she possessed, she made it into her horse, she made a dragon. Anything that popped into her head she made the flame to resemble. She lost touch with everything until she felt a hand rest on her shoulder. She turned and saw Iroh standing right behind her.

"I've never seen anybody do anything like that. I must say I'm quite amazed at your ability." He said, smiling at her proudly. But Katie didn't want praise right now, she wanted news.

"Did you find him?" She demanded. Iroh glanced around the charred room and wrapped an arm around Katie's shoulder, leading her out of the arena. He didn't say anything until they got back to her room. Iroh made sure that they were out of view of the balcony before he finally spoke.

"I found the boy and I gave him your message. We discussed his cause of action and he will attack the palace tomorrow morning." Iroh said, keeping his voice low.

"That's cutting it too close. The comet will be over the palace tomorrow night." Katie hissed.

"It's the best we can manage. Do not worry. I'm sure everything will work out fine." Iroh said. She could tell from the look in his eyes that he didn't mean it. He had been told his entire life that Ozai was going to harness the power of the comet. But Katie appreciated the gesture. She gave him a small smile and a hug.

"Go ahead and get some rest uncle." She said quietly. She felt guilty for snapping at him earlier. "And thank you for everything."

"You are welcome. Would you like me to send for Imoen to keep you company?"

"No thanks. I think I should get some sleep as well." She said. Iroh placed a hand on her shoulder in farewell and left the room. Katie sat down on the bed and she began rubbing her fingers through her hair out of habit, but realized it had grown to long to do this anymore. She glanced out the door to the balcony and was somewhat shocked to see how high the sun was. She wanted so badly to be doing something but there was nothing for her to do except sit and wait. She put herself to work on her firebending. She would create small fireballs and over time it grew much easier to force down the giant current of energy inside her. But she also began to grow tired. She laid down in the bed and pulled her covers up to her chin. She buried her face into Zuko's pillow and drifted of into an unrestful sleep.

* * *

"I don't know that we should trust him." Sokka said that night after Iroh had left. "He's Firenation and he's one of Zuko's goons. We'd have to be insane to do anything he says."

"Sokka, we don't really have much choice. The solstice is just to close and he said it was Katie who sent him." Katara said, trying to sound reassuring.

"And how do we know we can trust _her_?" Sokka demanded. He grabbed a stick and poked at the campfire.

"Uh, maybe because she went behind her boyfriend's back and risked everything to set us free." Katara said, raising an eyebrow.

"And she gave us enough money to get us here." Aang put in as he practiced his earthbending several yards away.

"And that Iroh guy says it's the only way to save Zuko's life." Katara finished.

"You guys are blind. You'd trust anybody." Sokka said grumpily as, for the millionth time, the other two teamed up against him.

"Why don't you listen to your _instincts_?" Katara said with a playful grin.

"Okay, that's just really getting old." (A/n: I have to agree with Sokka. Why do people keep bringing it up?)

* * *

"Rise and shine Katie!" Katie sat up with a start. Imoen had entered the room and threw open the curtains. Bright, midday sunlight shot into Katie's eyes. She let out a hiss and covered her face with her blanket until her eyes adjusted. "Come on lazy head. We need to make you another gown for the solstice banquet and you need to eat something." Katie pulled her blanket away grumpily. She had only had an hour or two of sleep. Imoen propped a tray laden with food in front of Katie and forced her to eat everything on it.

"So, why didn't we start making this dress before today?" Katie asked between mouthfuls.

"What's the fun in that? Besides, I work better under pressure." Imoen said, bustling around the room and straightening things.

"Famous last words." Katie grumbled. She finished eating and followed Imoen down to her room to get the gown made. The gown itself was mostly already made, it just needed to be fitted and finished. Katie tried to stifle yawning every three seconds as she stood on the small table, but the movement caused a sharp reprimand from Imoen. And so the entire day was spent. As before, Imoen wouldn't let Katie see herself in the dress which was red and a blue-violet color. When Katie reached her room at sunset, she felt exhausted beyond the point of being surprised to find Iroh waiting for her.

"It doesn't look like you got much sleep." He said, watching her stumble into the room. Katie only grunted. "I've been corresponding with your avatar friend for most of the day…"

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"Because I haven't been able to find you. As I was saying, I've been corresponding with the avatar and together we have managed to device a sort of plan for tomorrow night."

"Well then, let's hear it." Katie said, clapping her hands together, her exhaustion forgotten.

* * *

"PRINCESS KATIE LIN." The announcer voice called to the crowd when Katie stepped out onto the staircase. She was alone this time and felt utterly exposed. But she put on a confidant face and walked boldly down the wide staircase into the ballroom and strode up to Ozai's throne to bow. When she stood up she could barely contain a smile from her face as she thought _'You're goin' down'. _Katie turned and lost herself in the immense crowd. She saw Iroh slip into the room by some secret door and b-lined for him.

"So, how goes the evil plot?" She muttered.

"Everything is going according to plan."

* * *

(singing) Cause it's the fic that never ends!bum bum.yes it goes on and on my friend. Lin13 staarted typing it not knowing what it was, and she'll continue typing it forever just because! It is the fice that never ends...

It's funny because it's true. Please review, and if you have a good idea for a plan for them to take down Ozai, let me hear it because I could use some ideas. That's mostly why I ended this chapter at this point.


	29. Help! Help! I'm being repressed!

Wow, today was a really boring day. Almost absolutely nothing happened. My solo went alright it guess. I used my black violin because my green one broke (sob). And I made myself a really good meat pie from scratch, but that was about it. Hmm. I ate a reeces cup. And...yeah. Oh! I actually had help on this chapter!I drew stuff from many of your ideas that you gave me, but I actually grabbed my brother, Tony, and had him come up with pretty much this entire chapter. But I still won't let him or anyone else in my family read this. I don't know what it is, but I just don't like people I know to read my stuff. Especially when it's as personal as this. So, thanx Tony even though I locked you out of the office soon after snarfing your ideas! As for the title of this chapter. I just watched Mony Python and the Holy Grail today, so I wanted it to be "Come see the violence inherit in the system!" But it was toooo long. So I just took the next thing Dennis said.

**Plutobaby494: **Hey there! Did you have fun in california?

**Lovergal1227: **I'm really sorry if my 'evil Ozai' comment in my last shoutout seemed snipety. I didn't mean it to be and I really appreciate all of your comments. I don't know why people keep bringing up the 'Sokka's instincts' comment, and I really think it's getting old. That is why I put that line in there. And who said anything about _Aang _killing Ozai? (Evil grin. Now I know you really want to read this chapter!)

**Elenea Galad: **That's a really good idea, but I'm sorry that I won't be using it. I kinda took a little something from it. There won't be converted guards, but there may be an ally among them. Thanx for your support!

**Zukoscute2: **Glad you likey.

**O-dragon: **Don't worry, it seems like everyone is hyper right now. I'm glad you liked all that stuff and thanx for your suggestions.

**Titan09: **Thank you for giving him back. (Inspects for further signs of ill-usage). But he's overdue! ten cents please. I just love Spongebob. I think I'm gonna marry Patrick someday too. He's just so adorable. The parenthesis thing actually did make sense. I'm just weird that way. Yay! Rhymes!

**ILoveSoraandAangMuhahaha: **Wow, that's quite the mouthfull. Thanx for your lol. I'll add it to my collection and someday I will rule the world with their power!

**Petitio Principii: **Wow, them are some good idears! I think you'll be glad to see that I used some of them. Thanx a bunch!

**Randomwriter88: **Aw, I'm glad I've made you so happy.

**Khazia: **I'm glad you liked that firebending description. And you have nothing to be concerned about. If you'll remember correctly, earlier I was afraid that I was ripping stuff off of _you. _And I'm glad to be and inspiration, but it's weird because you're an inspiration to me. So where does the root inspiration come from? AAH! IT'S A NEVERENDING LOOP! SOMEBODY SMACK ME OUT OF THIS! Ow, thankyou Jeffrey (he's my poltergeist).

* * *

"Everything is going according to plan."

* * *

THREE HOURS BEFORE BANQUET 

"Are you sure that this is the only way?" Sokka asked grumpily trying to adjust the heavy armor on his shoulders.

"Yes. The palace is too heavily guarded for you to get in any other way." Iroh said, his concentration on the leather strap he was trying to adjust to fit Sokka's lithe form.

"Just quit complaining Sokka. You don't have it nearly as bad as Aang." Katara said jabbing a thumb over at Aang who was unrecognizable. Stilts had been strapped to his feet to make him a foot taller. His face was covered with a fake beard and bushy eyebrows. A long red robe fell down around his 'ankles' and he was wearing a hat that Momo had stolen from a sage at Roku's temple. Aang was oddly quiet. This was the night he had been dreading for the past six months.

"I have something for you as well my dear." Iroh said once he was satisfied with Sokka. Katara stepped forward curiously as Iroh pulled a beautiful silk gown from the sack he had brought to their clearing. It was red, but had blue ocean scenery stamped around the bottom of the skirt. Katara was shocked. She stroked the silk reverently. "Well, aren't you going to put it on?" Iroh asked placing it in her hands. Katara grinned and dashed behind Appa to change.

* * *

THE BANQUET 

Katie felt her sanity drifting away as she listened to the ramblings of a "scientist" as he told her and a few others all he knew about astronomy. Of course every bit of it was wrong. Katie was having the hardest time not saying anything to correct him, but after half an hour it was just getting too much. She began looking over his shoulder to scan the crowd. It took her a while, but she finally spotted Katara. She actually had to do a double take. She wouldn't have recognized the girl if it hadn't been for her necklace.

"Yes yes. And that's how we know the earth to be banana shaped. Please excuse me." Katie said, interrupting the young man and sidestepping away. (A/N: that banana-shaped thing was from Monty Python and the Holy Grail, which I love but don't own.)

"Katara?" Katie asked quietly, approaching the girl. It was definitely her; she was glancing around the room nervously. But it didn't look like her. Her hair had been let to hang loose around her shoulders and was curly. Her skin had also been powdered or something to make her look as pale as any firebender.

"Oh Katie, thank goodness. I was starting to get worried that nothing would work out." Katara said in relief. Katie widened her eyes at Katara as a signal to keep her voice down.

"Where are the others?" Katie asked quietly, making sure nobody was close enough to overhear.

"Um, Aang is still outside the palace. Sokka should be letting him in at any second." Katara said just as quietly.

"Are you ready?" Katie asked.

"Yes." Katara said nervously.

"Don't worry, you'll do great. We should probably take our places, just pretend to mingle. You're kind of obvious just standing here." Katie said. She glanced over her shoulder and spotted at least one familiar face over by the fountain. "Come on." She grabbed Katara's arm and steered her over to Anomen.

"Anomen, how good to see you! Are you enjoying the banquet?" She called out to the young man. He waved back cheerfully.

"I'm always enjoying myself, princess." He said tipping his wine glass when saying her title. Katara on the other hand looked slightly confused. She didn't know all that much about what had happened with Katie since the last time she saw her on the ship.

"That's wonderful. I was wondering if you could do me a large favor. I need to go speak with my uncle, could you keep my friend Katana company until I get back? She's a bit shy."

"It would be my honor." Anomen said, sweeping down graciously and kissing Katara's hand. She blushed slightly.

"Thank you so much. I will be back in a few minutes, could you just make sure to stay by the fountain so I can find you?"

"There's no need to rush." Anomen said, gazing into Katara's face with a soft smile. "So, Katana? That's a lovely name. Are you from the capitol?"

"Um. No, I'm a friend of Katie's. I'm visiting from Yew-ta." She said hoping to get everything Iroh had told her straight. Katie smiled and walked over to stand beneath a dragon sculpture. She pretended to retie the strap around her ankles until Iroh came to stand next to her.

"Alright. How is everything going?" She asked smiling at him and standing back up.

"Perfectly. We should receive the signal within a few minutes." Iroh said. Katie looked extremely calm and confident until he looked down at her hand, which was shaking uncontrollably. He smiled and took the hand, holding it tightly in his own. She gave him a small grateful smile and took a deep breath. Suddenly several windows on the east side shattered as a concentrated gust of wind hit them. People jumped and screamed, trying to get out of the way of the flying glass shards. Iroh nodded at Katie and went to get in his place. Katie glanced over at the fountain to make sure Katara was still there. Thankfully she was. A murmuring began arising among the guests as they looked around in confusion. A few doors burst open and a group of fire sages came running in. Katie noticed that one of the last ones to enter was walking somewhat stiffly.

"THE AVATAR HAS BEEN SPOTTED! WE WILL BE BARRING THE HALL!" One of the men cried out. This started a whole chain of whispers. Katie took a deep breath and waited as all the doors and windows were locked. A few guards managed to sneak in; she saw a flash of blue eyes beneath one of the helmets as they began spreading throughout the room to stand next to the windows. Katie kept her eyes on the blue-eyed one, watching him take a place beside the firelord's throne. The sages all stood in a line around the firelord like a bunch of bodyguards. The one with a gimp made sure to stay as far away from the soldier as possible. After a few minutes more of confusion, things began settling down.

"THE AVATAR! IT'S HIM!" The soldier cried out pointing at one of the sages close to him. Everyone sprang at the man, wrestling him to the ground. Katie glanced over at Katara; she was slowly reaching out and gaining control of the water in the fountain. The gimpy sage was now standing at the very base of the throne, he nodded at Katie. Katie gave a little wave to Iroh and they both reached out, smoldering the flame curtain around Ozai. There were general screams from the crowd as the majority of the room's light source was extinguished. Ozai was on his feet immediately but Katara used her bending to blast him with water, knocking him back against the wall. Aang was in front of him in an instant. The long robe and stilts left and forgotten at the base of the steps. Aang froze the water dripping from Ozai. Katara sent him another stream of water and he froze that in a shell around the firelord as well. The people all ran to the back of the room to get out of the way of any violence while guards began rushing forward. Katie shot a flame down across the floor and lifted it up into a curtain, blocking the advancing soldiers. It took all her concentration to keep it up as the benders on the other side worked against her, but she could feel that she was drawing energy already from the approaching comet and was able to hold the barrier. She heard the sound of an explosion behind her and glanced over her shoulder. Ozai had burst free from the ice.

Ozai sent a fireblast at Aang. Aang created an air shield around himself and repelled the attack. A water whip came out of nowhere and smacked Ozai in the back of the neck causing him to fall to his knees momentarily. Aang dropped the air shield and called out to the earth foundation beneath the metal flooring. He yanked it through and pulled it at Ozai with all the force he could muster. Ozai rolled out of the way as it crashed down on the throne. Fire sages and the few guards that had been in this half of the room were advancing forward, but Iroh stepped up and began taking them all down easily. Katara held her own, freezing their feet and legs in ice and whipping like crazy with her water source that kept replenishing itself. Sokka had also taken out his club and was also fighting off several people. Katie turned her attention back to her barrier. It was beginning to get harder to manage. She could still feel soldiers on the other side working against her. She sent out a blast at the points where she could sense these soldiers and heard a few satisfying cries. But it had taken too much to do this little trick and the wall dropped substantially. Katie was forced to her knees in the attempt to keep it from dropping completely. Then she heard a wild shriek to her left. She turned and watched as a sage began running towards her with a drawn sword. Time froze for a second as she watched him advance. She was helpless where she was, she couldn't do anything to stop him. Then out of nowhere another sword dropped, biting deeply into the man's neck. Katie turned and saw the most beautiful thing she had ever seen. Her prince. Zuko gave her a slightly confused look, she was, after all pulling off a very advanced firebending move. But a clock somewhere began chiming that it was nine o'clock. The comet was supposed to be directly above the tower. Ozai froze, listening to the chimes. He threw one last major blast at the avatar, knocking him against the wall. Then he turned tail and ran from the room.

"YOU HAVE TO GO AFTER HIM!" Katie yelled at the others. Aang stumbled to his feet and rushed to Katie's side. He pulled more earth from beneath the flooring making a more substantial wall to replace the fire one. Katie almost wanted to yell at him for wasting time, but it had only taken two seconds for him to pull off and she realized that he was going to need all the help he could get. Together they all ran after Ozai. Iroh and Zuko led the way to a spiraling staircase. Zuko started up the stairs first, but Iroh held back not wanting to slow down the others. They took the steps three at a time, Aang used his airbending to pass everyone up and reached the landing before the others. The room they came to was much like the room the Roku statue was kept in the fire temple. Murals were painted all around sporting the faces and histories of various firelords. But Katie had no time to admire the artwork. Standing in the very middle of the floor was Ozai. Right above his head was an opening and the comet was beginning to come within sight. Ozai created a barrier of fire around himself. Aang, Katie and Zuko reached out and tried to stop the flames, but it was no use. Iroh finally made it to the top of the stairs and helped out but the firelord was just too powerful.

"WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO?" Katara asked helplessly.

"We need to get him out of that circle." Iroh said.

"Thank you captain obvious!" Katie snapped. Zuko began running towards the center of the room. He took a flying leap, doing his best to shield himself from the flames and landed in the ring of fire next to his father. The two began to struggle; both were too close to each other to do any firebending. Ozai's grip on his barrier dropped and Aang, Iroh and Katie were able to rip it down easily. Aang sent a funnel of wind at Ozai, knocking him out of the center. Then, a light and energy filled the room that caused them all to stop moving. It wasn't that they were in awe of it, but the energy was actually constraining their movements. Katie could feel the power of the comet stronger than ever. It was at the zenith point in the sky. A pillar of fire came down through the opening of the ceiling and surrounded the center point of the room. The center point where Zuko was still standing. Everyone was thrown backwards with the force of that fire. It burned at them, licking their clothes. Both Katie and Iroh managed to block the flames from actually hitting them and Aang had created a sort of bubble around himself and his friends. For nearly ten minutes the pillar remained over Zuko. Katie was praying to anybody listening to keep him safe. Her hold on her shield was beginning to wear. Any power she had drawn from the comet before was now pulled away, it was all centered on Zuko now. Her skin and clothing were beginning to burn. She began wondering if the comet would remain over the tower forever. Then it passed and the world returned to normal. Katie dropped to her hands and knees, trying to readjust. But Ozai was already making his next move. Katie glanced quickly over at Zuko who was directly in Ozai's path. He was in the same position she was, on the floor gasping with exhaustion. When he finally opened his eyes flames were actually emitting from them. He turned to his father and was on his feet in an instant. Ozai made a powerful attack towards his son, but Zuko pushed it away easily. He continued walking towards his father, forcing the older man backwards until his back was against the wall. For the first time there was actual fear in his face. But it was only a small amount and could barely be seen beneath the mask of hatred. Zuko placed his hand at his father's throat, pinning him to the wall.

"You have the power to kill me prince Zuko. But you don't have the strength. You have always been so weak, could you really bring yourself to kill me? You are nothing but an honorless worm. I should have killed you years ago, I've seen since the moment you were born that you would only bring our entire lineage down around us."

"No father. You loved me once." Zuko said, his grip tightening on Ozai's throat. "I know you did. But it wasn't enough." He reached inside and simply extinguished a flame. That was all it took to kill the great firelord Ozai. Everyone stood in stunned silence as the body dropped to the ground. Zuko turned and his gaze landed on Katie. She scrambled to her feet and ran to him, wrapping her arms around his neck. His skin was burning hot, but she could barely feel anything right now and even if she could, she wouldn't have really cared. Her prince had just saved the day.

* * *

Oh squee, Zuko's back! Don't worry all y'all who like this story or whatever. There's a few more chapters left. As I sang before: It is the fic that never ends (bum bum) yes it goes on and on my friend... 

Little side note, I was looking at a phone number today and I thought it looked like Ozai's name. It was really weird. The last four digits were: 0741. I don't know. It just looks like his name to me, but I'm weird and see weird stuff everywhere. Like that smudge on the screen! It looks like captain hook! Don't worry, I don't think it's contagious. It's safe to review.


	30. the long awaited one

Wow, I never thought that this story would go on fer this long! Man, sorry for the delay everyone. I've just been so busy! Oh! Oh! Great story. Khazia's already heard it, but I got to pet a Wallaby the other day! A girl brought it to class to answer this guy that asked her to homecoming. It was so cute. I've actually pet it before, but it still gave me a thrill. It was so cute with its little diaper on. Anyways, has anybody seen any commercials or anything for the new Avatar episodes? I've been watching every chance I get (which ain't too often) but I haven't seen squat. So I'm getting anxious as to whether or not they're actually showing them on friday. PLEASE FOR THE LOVE OF ALL THAT IS CHEESE LET ME KNOW IF YOU HAVE ANY NEWS!

**Lovergal1227: **Ooh, maybe you're psychic! Are you attracted to the colors turquoise, lilac or yellow? (That's an actual question on a psychic test I took. Apparently I'm psychic!)

**Elenea Galad: **So do I. Or Aang will take down Ozai while Zuko squishes Zhao like a worm.

**Zukoscute2: **Yay!

**Crouchingbunny: **Thanx for all of your reviews and comments. They're awesome.

**Katara183: **I love the Holy Grail too. I filled out one of those 'get to know ya' sheets at school, and one of the questions was "What character from what movie do you wish you could be?" and I answered that I want to be the old man from scene 24.

**Titan09: **Actually, it is a coinkydink. I laughed when you happened to give him back in that review. I'm still keeping Zuko. He's my main boy toy, the others are just for show. YOU HAVEN'T SEEN THE HOLY GRAIL! Go out and rent it today and come back when you're worthy, ya heathen. J/K. I'll have to check out your songfic. BTW. Nice Ozai song!

**Sesshamaru's woman: **Wow, sorry that teacher sucks so bad. Want to borrow my punching bag to get rid of somma that pent up anger? It ain't good to keep that all inside bud. And I hate your bruise.

**Athenera: **Eh, it will end. Just not yet. But we're gettin' there.

**darklight4ever: **Eh, my computer is like that too. Augh, I just can't stand having relatives read my stuff. If my parents read this I would absolutly die. Even if they read it while I'm at school, my 'story sense' would begin tingling and I would fall over and die. Luckily I have all my chapters hidden behind a bunch of different files, so my computer illiterate family can never find it.

**O-dragon: **Gah! Hurricane? Be safe out there, I'm praying for ya girl. No, this story will end, and it will end after about two or three more chapters. It just seems to go on forever.

**Plutobaby494: **He, I decided to make Ozaia bit of a wuss. Especially after Zuko became, like, all powerful (insert drool). Altogether, I've been to California twice, but both those times I never left the SF airport, so I don't think it really counts. That airport had really good McDonald's breakfast!

**Randomwriter88:** NoNo!Not the tights! GAH! MY EYES!

Kay, this chapter may seem kinda weird. There is an immense time gap and I probably shoulda spent some more time writing out a few details or whatever. I'll give it one last go through before I post it and hopefully this comment will be unessecary (spelling).

* * *

"How did you get here?" Katie sobbed into Zuko's shoulder. She was surprised that he could understand her at all.

"It wasn't that hard to convince my division to come back before we were all slaughtered. I'm so sorry I went in the first place. I'm never leaving you again." Zuko murmured holding her tightly.

"Um, guys. I hate to break this up but, what are we going to do now?" Aang asked making sure to keep his eyes averted from Ozai's corpse.

"Yeah, we're all going to be slaughtered for killing the firelord." Sokka said nervously.

"But the firelord is not dead, the firelord can never be killed. A person may die, but the title only passes on. Zuko, even though your father decreed that you were to never take his place, you are now unmistakably the lord of fire. You have harnessed the power of your forefather's comet. The kingdom is now yours." Iroh said quietly. He walked over to Ozai's corpse and took something from its hair. It didn't really look like much, it appeared to be nothing more than a hair ornament, but Iroh handled it reverently and when he placed it in Zuko's hand a look of awe came over the prince's face.

"Come on," Zuko said after a few seconds, "Let's go let the world know that things are about to really change.

* * *

Zuko stood on his balcony and stared out at his kingdom. It had been three days since he murdered his father. Each day had been busy, today had been the most so. There was an ancient law saying the country could not go without a lord for more than three days. There was another law saying the lord had to have a way to guarantee an heir. So today he had become permanently married to Katie and they had both been crowned. Zuko sighed and turned around so that he could watch Katie's sleeping form. He watched her for a few minutes before she reached out for him in her sleep. When she couldn't find him she sat up with a start and looked around. Zuko walked into sight and she relaxed.

"You okay?" She asked, laying back down on the bed and stretching luxuriously.

"Yeah, I'm alright." He said sitting down on the edge of the bed.

"You're a bad liar." Katie said, crawling out from under the covers and scooting over to sit behind Zuko. "Come on. What's buggin' ya?" Zuko sighed.

"I'm really afraid."

"You! Of what?"

"This power I have. It's too much. I don't know if I can hold it all." Katie inspected Zuko. Flames were still leaking from his eyes and the skin beneath her arms was nearly scalding to the touch. She hadn't thought about what it must be like to be him right now.

"I felt the same way when my bending…erupted. You'll get used to it over time I promise. You're very strong Zuko. Just stay away from gasoline and step outside if you have to release some air." Zuko smiled and leaned back against her.

"I love you." He said and stroked her arm.

"I love you too Zee." She said kissing the back of his jaw.

"What did you call me?"

"It's your new name. I've just decided because I ain't goin' around calling you 'firelord'." Zuko made a little noise of acknowledgment and they sat in silence for a few seconds. "So what are we going to do? What's the future going to be like?"

"A hell of a lot of work." Zuko said, wincing at the memory of his first decree as firelord. It had been an announcement of the end of the war. A declaration of peace between nations and an offer to help rebuild what had been destroyed. "But one thing we have to do is supply an heir, so we better get cracking." Zuko said with a grudging sigh and began undoing his belt.

* * *

MAJOR TIME GAP!

* * *

Katie woke up and rolled over to stare at the empty space beside her. It didn't surprise her anymore. In the seven years she had been queen, this had become a common occurrence. She heaved a sigh and got up to start the day. After the first two months of her reign, Katie had found palace life for a noble woman to be the dullest thing possible. So she started a sort of daycare school program for the children of the servants in the palace and a few families in the city. It had started out small with only three children. But now Katie had about twenty-five that she kept watch over. She would teach them to read and write and do math. She taught them some science as well, but not enough to blow their medieval little minds. They ranged in ages of four to eleven. After a person turned twelve they were expected to begin working in a family business or join the military. Katie had never expected to become a teacher, but it had turned out to be something that she really enjoyed. It definitely was a hand full.

Katie got dressed and walked down to the dining hall for breakfast. The only other people eating were a noble family that had shown up the night before and was staying for the weekend on business. There was always someone staying and they were all exactly the same. Stuffy and disgustingly, immaculately clean. This family had a grand total of two brats…er…children. And they were just as whiny and arrogant as their parents. The mother, a woman by the name of Jaheira, gave Katie a snub of a glance when she entered the room and sat down across from them. Katie had not met Jaheira's standards of a queen. Katie dressed like a commoner (in pants no less) and she treated servants like friends and equals. The only thing that would make you even imagine that Katie could possibly be royalty was the hair ornament tucked in her high ponytail.

"Good morning." Katie said cheerfully despite the glares.

"What can I get for you my lady?" A female servant asked giving a sweeping curtsy.

"Um, I think I'll just have some grits."

"Yes my lady." She said giving another curtsy.

"Thanks Mazzy." Katie turned back to her guests. "So, how did you sleep?" Jaheira and her husband exchanged glances.

"Fine." They said snootily. Katie nodded as though it were pressing conversation.

"I teach young children during the day, most are the ages of your own kids. Would you mind if they joined us?" Katie asked after a brief pause. She glanced over at the two children. There was a boy who was about nine and a girl who was only five or six.

"Oh please mummy! Can I can I?" The little girl asked bouncing on her cushion.

"Just what do you teach the children?" Jaheira asked suspiciously.

"Oh, reading, writing, arithmetic and science. We also have two exercise breaks where they learn sports and combat techniques." The boy had been looking bored and haughty but perked up ever so slightly at the mention of sports.

"I don't think it would be appropriate." She said with a sniff. The boy looked as though he was about to protest but any sound he might have made was drowned out by the wails coming from his little sister. "Oh for heavens sake! Don't you have a maid that takes care of your guest's children!" Jaheira demanded, trying to make herself heard over the screams. Katie figured the girl just needed a good smack, but she decided to play on her fit.

"Children of our guests always join in on my classes." Katie said with a shrug. Jaheira gave Katie the slightest hint of a glare. Mazzy had come back into the dining room and placed a steaming bowl of grits in front of Katie. She gave the servant a grateful smile and took a bite. "This is wonderful. Tell your father I'm going to give him a raise." Katie said. Mazzy gave a pleased smile and curtsy and bustled from the room. The four of them tried to eat their breakfast and ignore the continuing screech of the little girl. It was taking every ounce of Katie's self control not to haul off and do something about it, instead she just continued eating in silence. The little girl's face went from pink to almost purple. Katie was afraid that if she held out any longer she would pass out.

"ALRIGHT! That is enough. I'll let you go." The mother said at last. The girl immediately stopped screaming and clapped her hands joyfully.

* * *

Children began gathering in the main reception hall around nine in the morning. They began talking and laughing with each other. Katie walked around a corner to meet them and spotted the nine-year old boy staying in the palace. He was peering nervously around the corner.

"Would you like me to give you an introduction?" Katie asked, placing a hand on his shoulder. He jumped at her touch and whirled around to face her.

"They're peasants! I can't interact with them!" He said angrily at being spared that detail.

"Oh don't be such a snob. I'll have you know that I was a peasant before I married the firelord and I'm perfectly normal, now ain't I? Don't answer that. Look, your sister is getting along just fine. I promise, they don't have cooties. Now what's your name?"

"Ramse!" He said looking highly offended. Katie nodded and rounded the corner to greet her subjects.

"OY! Shut your pie holes!" She said trying to sound angry, but all of the kids merely laughed. "Okay, we have some new friends with us today. Everyone, this is Ramse, and this is his little sister…_what's your name?" _She bent down and asked the little girl.

"Nalia." She said, barely looking up from the cloth doll she was inspecting.

"Nalia. I expect you to welcome them while they stay here for the week. Any questionsgoodmovingon. Now! Who wants to play us some foosball?" She called out holding up something vaguely resembling a football. All of the boys cheered.

"What's foosball?" Ramse asked nervously.

"You'll see soon enough ducky." Katie said motioning for them all to follow her out into the gardens. As they walked down one hallway they passed a group of high standing men. The children all immediately stopped whispering and lowered their eyes in respect. One of the men was Zuko.

"Where are you guys heading off to?" He asked grabbing Katie's hand as she past and leaning in to kiss her.

"We're going to go play some football. Do you want to come? It would even out the teams a bit." Zuko heaved a sigh and pursed his lips in thought. "I bet I could whoop you." Katie said tossing the ball into the air and catching it.

"Oh really?" He asked with a grin, "In that case, I-"

"Sire, I'm sorry to interrupt, but we have a scheduled engagement." A small balding man said stiffly.

"-I'll see you at dinner." He said with another sigh. He leaned in and kissed her once more in parting. After Zuko was out of hearing range a bunch of younger girls started giggling.

"What?" Katie asked defensively. "I'm allowed to kiss him! Are we gonna play football or not?"

* * *

Zuko glanced out his window and watched as Katie stood in behind the line of boys. The play began and one boy threw the ball to Katie. She caught it but allowed them to tackle her. All of the little girls and smaller boys in her group were playing in the rose gardens with dolls or various imaginary things. Zuko felt so detached from her life right now.

"…My lord?" One of his councilors asked meekly.

"Yes?" Zuko asked turning back to them.

"The meeting in Pen Qua. Who would you like us to send there?"

"Pen Qua…" Zuko glanced back out the window at Katie's laughing face. "I'll go."

"You! But, my lord…"

"It's more honorable to go meet with allies in person. I'll take my wife as well. Agni knows we could both use the chance to get away."

"Um…" The councilor looked as though he was going to protest but Zuko gave him a look that meant he had made up his mind "…Yes my lord." He said and began scribbling in his book.

* * *

Katie sat and traced the letters carved into a tiny gravestone. It had been four years, but she could still feel the flutterings in her stomach as though the child was still there. She let her mind drift back to the memories of her pregnancy. They had been trying so hard to have a child, she just wasn't able to conceive. Then when she finally did, they had been so happy. Zuko would come into their room at the end of a trying day and just rest his cheek on her swelling stomach as the baby pushed against his face. They would joke that the baby was trying to hug him. Then when the baby was born there had been a celebration throughout the kingdom. It was a girl. She had black hair and yellow eyes, just like her father. She was perfect and Katie fell in love with her immediately. Zuko had found it strange that Katie kept the baby in their room with them instead of handing her over to a nursemaid at night. But Katie preferred it this way even if it did mean waking up every two hours. It was the mom thing to do. Then when the baby had turned three months old, she had caught pneumonia and there was no way to save her. It was just after this that Zuko had become more reclusive. He allowed his obligations to rule his life. Katie could see in his eyes that he hated what he had become, a slave to his title. But he would never admit it out loud. Katie let her fingers glide through the grooves of the name written in two languages: Hope.

Footsteps crunched through the grass behind Katie and she felt rather than saw someone sit down beside her.

"I miss her too." Zuko murmured, wrapping an arm around Katie's shoulder and pulling her closer to him.

"It all has a purpose. She only needed to be here for those three months. She's fulfilling great things in the spirit world right now." Katie said softly, still tracing the name.

"Come on. Let's go get some dinner." Zuko said, he stood up and offered her a hand. She took it and he hauled her to her feet. Together they walked back up to the palace. Katie took a few seconds to inspect her husband. He had changed a lot since they first met. He had allowed his hair to grow out and cover his scalp. He had also let a small patch of hair grow on his chin because Katie had told him he looked good with it. Physically he had really filled out and beefed up. Katie was still in awe everytime she looked at him.

"Let's spend a day together." Zuko said.

"Huh?"

"A day. Let's just spend one together. Or two or three. I'm really not picky."

"Where did all of this come from?" Katie asked suspiciously.

"I've realized that you were right."

"True, but about what specifically?"

"Remember back on my ship, on my birthday, you were worried that once we got here we would be ripped apart and hardly get to see each other? You were right. I feel as though we're strangers."

"Yes, but we're strangers because of the duties we have here. As you might remember we've tried being alone in this palace before and it's physically impossible."

"Then let's be alone somewhere else. I'm going to Pen Qua to strengthen ties with our allies there. Think about it. Two weeks on a ship together, then one week on Pen Qua, then another two weeks back." Zuko said motioning in the air as though drawing out the calendar.

"That there's a lot of weeks." Katie said.

"I think after how long we've been estranged we deserve it." Zuko said.

"What about my kids?" Katie asked, biting her bottom lip.

"Imoen and Iroh would be happy to take care of it, I'm sure. They love the children." Zuko said. They were now inside the palace and standing just outside the dining room. "Please, Love. Just this once do something for yourself." He said taking her chin in his hands.

"And you." Katie said cocking an eyebrow.

"Well yeah, we're the same person now." He bent down and kissed her, then gave her his best puppy dog impression after pulling away. Katie couldn't help but laugh.

"Alright. Let's go."

* * *

Pweeze weview! Uvverwize I'wl keep up da cootsie wootsie talk! Gah, never mind. I don't know how people can talk like that and still have dignity! But still, after I put myself through that you at least owe me a review. Remember, I accept anons now and I WANT TO KNOW IF ANYBODY HAS NEWS ON THE NEW AVATAR EPISODES! I COMMAND YOU TO TELL ME SHAMMIT!


	31. aw suck! Tomorrow's monday i'nt it?

We have a really weird movie critic that writes in our paper. I particualarly liked his comment on "Flightplan"where he said: "Hear that sucking noise? that's the sound of Flightplan preparing to suck your brain out through your nostrils like a humongous sucking vortex of suckitude that sucks things." You are so professional mister Clark! Anyways, sorry that these chapters aren't popping up once every day like they used to, but I'm just running short on time lately and am not able to put them out like I used to. I'M GETTING OLD! Okay, I'm not. But I will be on January 14th when I turn 18! GASP! Another thing about my story. I know I keep saying there's only a few chapters left, but at this point with the influx of ideas I've been getting, I really have no idea about how many more of these buggers I'm going to keep putting out. Don't be surprised if it really does never end. The new Avatar episode ROCKED! Whoah! I've got it taped (oh I'm bad) so I've now seen it about twenty times. Wanna hear my prediction for the series? I think Aang and Katara really aren't going to end up together, the powerful bender was probably Zuko or someone we haven't met yet, but I'm leaning more towards Zuko. I figure this because if marriage was such a deffinite think in Katara's future and if she is supposed to marry Aang, wouldn't this be just as obvious in _his _reading? Anyways, update about my life. I went paintballing yesterday! Yay! And it's about time, I was beginning to have withdrawls. I was shot fifteen times (I know I told you I was shot thirteen times, O-dragon, but I found a few more welts. I also told ya paintballs travel at 150 mph, but that was a lie. me and my dad calculated it, they fly at around 204.5 mph). It was so fun! I've gotten to the point where most of the shots I take I barely even notice, but there's always a couple that hurt so bad that you want to throw up. Like my two kidney shots that are only a few inches apart from each other. My cousin is a dip. he was hiding behind a bush, so I told him to come out and take it like a man. So he came running out, stood two feet away from me and shot me twice in the arm. But the friend he brought was cute. The friend shot me once in the butt. I don't know if I shot him though, you tend to lose count. Anyways, that was really long but I get really pumped about paintballing. I can't wait to go again next weekend!

**lovergal1227: **Sorry the time gaps were confusing. Zhao will come in later. I certainly hope squirrels aren't evil! We have one living in our back yard right now. It's been snitching walnuts from us.

**Zukoscute2: **I am totally calm! (twitch)

**O-dragon: **Hm, Iroh. He will come in soon, just not now. NO IROH FOR YOU!

**Plutobaby494: **I'll explain what happens to the trio in this chapter, don't worry.

**Random Firebender: **I'm so sorry about not letting anons review before. I swear on all that is...something clever...that I didn't know I wasn't accepting them. And I'm glad you are such a loyal fan and thanx for the review.

**darklight4ever: **I'm continuing with all the powers of my mighty brain muscles (that's a quote I made up while writing this chapter that I've decided I really like)! I swear it!

**Petitio Principii: **Sorry you found it unfutting. I just decided at the last minute to do something different from everyone else. I promise that Aang will be the one to out Ozai in the cartoon...even though I really have no control in the matter. As forYew-ta...we shall see.

**Titan09: **Actually, there ain't much distinction between the positions of heathen and fiend. If ya want me to, I'll come up with more stuff to call ya! j/k. The witch scene is one of my favorite parts. I've seen it so many times I can quote it word for word. Actually I can do that with the entire movie. I actually saw the scene in school last year as well, but it was in my leadership class. I can't remember why exactly we watched it, but I was happy. I'll have to check out that site! Sorry, I didn't mean to take your nickname. I didn't know it _was _your nickname, but sorry still. That's...a weird thing to sell.

**Katara183: **Okay. Yeah, those are great people to want to be. I especially like prince Erbert and the black night. I scared one of my friends on time. We got in an argument over something really dumb (as always) and she's an idiot so the points she was trying to make really didn't make sense and weren't plausible. so all of a sudden I just yelled "LOOK YOU STUPID BASTARD! YOU'VE GOT NO ARMS LEFT!" That shut her up. We haven't really talked much since then.

**Sesshomaru's Woman: **That is so cool that you got to go to the expo! I didn't, but there's a site somewhere where I've checked out all sorts of stuff for the upcoming season. Wow, there's someone named Lin? I didn't know about that. I knew there's a bounty hunter girl that's going to show up named Jun. I wish I had her outfit. I predict that she's going to have Zuko wrapped around her finger. I know she's hired by Zhao, so hopefully Zuko won't get too involved with her. I think Katara and Sokka's dad is kinda hot, even though he's old. I don't know, I guess I just havea soft spot for dreads myself as long as they aren't nasty and lice-ridden. I've seen a sketch of Zuko's blimp and I think it looks kinda cute. BTW, that was a mean crack about your sister...even though it made me laugh and think the same thing about my own. Oh, we're evil! I din't see much technology stuff except a weird firenation tank thinger, it looked pretty deadly. I can't wait for the next episode! I know it's going to be called "The gliders" or something like that, I've seen a few storyboards, but I really can't tell all that much about it. I'm thinking they'll eventually end up at the East or West air temples. I hope there are some female airbenders still hiding out there. The pictures of the temple are great.

**blue 1/2: **I promise to never talk like that again. I had to scrub my mouth out with lye soon afterwards. Nothingness is a terrible sickness against the mind. That's why I gave up such superfluous things as sanity years ago. I'm glad you liked my little segment on Hope, there'll be a few more. And I'm sorry you thought the end battle was a little short lived, I think so too. Don't worry. Everything will come together eventually.

**Randomwriter88: **Of course Zuko didn't kill the baby!

**Khazia: **Oh my gosh. that stuff about your mom is so sad. I guess I'm lucky in the fact that everyone in my family has had no trouble with having kids. I have a feeling I'll be okay too. That's just so sad! Did she really lose ten?

**Athenera: **I can't believe Zuko wasn't in it as well. Ain't ita burn? I LOVE YOU TOO!

**Evangline Angel: **Hallelujah! Criticism! And I'm glad you still enjoyed the story despite all of that. I read your fic and loved it! I'll advertise for you, how 'bout that?

**Serori: **Yay! A new fan! I'm glad you like!

**MitaraiWaterDragon: **YAY! YOU'RE ALIVE! I was afraid I had offended you or something! Oh squee! (Accepts award and blows kisses to comp. screen)

**Crouchingbunny: **Yeah, seeing commercials makes me bubble over with excitement. I hope they show more of them. That is a great word! Awesomest! I'm going to add that to my vocabulary right now!

**Woman of Middle Earth: **Thank you for all of your lovely review! And no, the search engine isn't evil. I am. I just couldn't stand the constant presence of PW&A in my mind anymore. I came to hate my total Mary-Sue character, hardly anybody was reading it and the plot was stale. I just couldn't come up with anything for it. Trust me, you're better off not reading it. If I ever feel the dire need, I might repost it. Just not now.

And...Once again...there is another reviewer on my stats page, but it'll take another hour before my computer will let me actually read it. So sorry about that currently shielded reviewer. I still love you!

Wow! That's a lot of reviews! Now here's some advertising!

_Go read Evangline Angel's fic "End with Honor" It's awesome. And O-dragon has a story out called "Aishiteru"which is really great as well! Read them both and it may cause the braincells to regrow that have been popped and wringed dry from reading my stuff!_

* * *

When Katie woke up she could feel the motions of the ship rocking beneath her. It was lulling in fact. They had just set sail the day before. Katie opened her eyes and rolled over. She almost jumped out of her skin when she saw Zuko's sleeping face only a few inches from her own. For the last few years he had been getting up hours before she awoke to fulfill his duties. Then he usually wouldn't turn in until after Katie had already fallen asleep. Katie gazed into his face for a few minutes, then leaned in and kissed him softly. Zuko stirred in his sleep and rolled onto his back. Katie took the opportunity to scoot close to him and cuddle up at his side (another thing she had been missing). Zuko woke up the rest of the way at her touch and shifted himself so she could move closer, resting her head on his chest.

"Good morning Zee." Katie murmured.

"And you as well, Love." Zuko brought a hand up and gently stroked her cheek. Katie wrapped her arm firmly around his waist and buried her face into his shoulder to breathe in his scent.

"I've missed you." Katie said. Zuko's entire body seemed to tense for a fraction of a second.

"I'm so sorry that I haven't been there." He said and resumed stroking her cheek.

"Don't be sorry. I understand that you're a very important person. I have to share you." Katie said and began tracing several scars on his chest with a fingertip. Zuko took her hand and lifted it up so he could see the scar he had given her on their wedding night.

"That's no excuse. You're my wife and you should always come first."

"I can't come before an entire country, Zee. I may not always like it, but I understand." Zuko began to protest this, but Katie lifted herself up and kissed him. "Let's not talk about it. We're here together now, let's make the most of it." Zuko looked like he wanted to apologize some more, but instead heaved a sigh and smiled at her.

"I love you."

"I love you too, bud."

* * *

"We're only fifteen miles away?" Katie asked the helmsman excitedly two days out to sea.

"Yes my lady, but we will aren't scheduled to stop there." Katie's face fell. She glanced over at Zuko who was standing a few feet behind her inspecting a map. She never undermined his authority in front of his subjects so she pulled him out of earshot.

"Can't we just make one quick stop? It will only put us one day behind and we're already _three _days ahead of schedule." She pleaded in a hushed voice.

"Those three days are in case of bad weather. I'm sorry, but we won't be able to stop and see Aang and Katara." Zuko said, trying not to look at her. He knew she was making a pouting face in the attempt to break his heart. So when it didn't work, Katie turned to more drastic measures.

"Zuko, let me see my friends or I won't let you within two feet of me for a week." She whispered threateningly. He tensed and began shifting uncomfortably. "I mean it. I'm strong enough to put you in your place now." Zuko grunted and brushed a stray lock of black hair out of his eyes in annoyance. He was still over a hundred times more powerful than she was, but he had to admit that she could still pack a punch when she wanted to.

"Alright, fine. We'll stop. But we will only visit for a couple of hours, okay?"

"Of course." She smiled as she watched Zuko stalk off to give the helmsman the new orders. "Thank you." She said when he came back and hugged him tightly. This seemed to slake his annoyance a bit and he hugged her back.

"Come on. Let's go for a walk." Zuko said, taking her arm and leading her out onto the deck. Every member of the crew they passed would pause from their various labors to bow in respect to Zuko. He barely noticed it but Katie still hadn't gotten used to the constant barrage of praises and it was really driving her nuts.

"Isn't there anything you can do or command to get them to stop licking the floor every time you walk passed?" Katie said loudly, sending a small glare at one of the galley men.

"I don't see why it bothers you so much." Zuko said with a shrug. He leaned against the railing and gazed out across the ocean water.

"Because, it just does. I don't like pretending to be better then all these people, because I'm not." Katie said grumpily. She leaned next to him and began scraping the peeling paint from the railing and then flicked it moodily out at the water. Zuko shrugged again. He really couldn't find a way to argue with her sometimes to make her see things his way, so he had given up years ago. The lack of argument only made her grumpier and she flicked a paint chip at Zuko. It missed so she began peeling back another one.

"You know, I'm surprised at how much I've missed the sea." Zuko said, taking a deep breath of the salty air. "I've been staring out at it from my throne room forever. I really miss the freedom that it offered. I'd forgotten what freedom is being shoved every which way by diplomacy. Sometimes I even find myself wishing I hadn't taken the throne, that I hadn't started this campaign for peace."

"You could always just start the war up again. You could name it 'Operation Impending Doom 2' I can see a great franchise growing from that in my powerful brain muscles." Katie said flicking another piece of paint at Zuko.

"Or I could just run away." Zuko said turning to look Katie in the face.

"Zuko, that's not funny. Without you the nation would crumble." Katie said, the attempt to peel another paint chip now forgotten.

"I know." Zuko said with a sigh and rested his face in his hands. "But sometimes that's just the very thing I want to do. I'm twenty-four years old. I look back on my life and it has been nothing but a montage of being the pawn of others. My father, Zhao, even my uncle to a certain degree. Now my council controls every move I make, I barely have the chance to stop and breathe. And look at us. We've become so distant. I don't want us to drift apart."

"Zee, don't talk like that. We aren't going to drift apart. Times are a bit stressful, but I promise we'll pull through it, together." Katie said, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Now promise me you aren't going to talk like that anymore. You were scaring me there for a sec."

"Alright, I promise." Zuko said with a sigh. He ran a hand through his longish bangs and looked back out at the ocean. "We're getting close." He said nodding to a coastline looming in the horizon.

"I'm gonna go get ready." Katie said and disappeared back into their room. One thing Katie had to get readjusted to about living on a ship was lack of bathing. There was a small basin of fresh water to wash your face and hands in, but that was about it. Fresh water was just too precious to use for something so frivolous and you could hardly feel clean after bathing in salt water. Luckily Zuko had taught Katie another method of bathing. It wasn't nearly as relaxing; in fact it was quite exhausting to pull off. Pretty much you heated your skin to the point that all dirt, bacteria and dead skin were burned away. After her fire bath, Katie felt the ship beneath her feet come to a grating stop at the port. She quickly got dressed and pulled her hair up, purposely forgetting to put in her royal ornament, and went up to go ashore with Zuko. Katie had only been to Aang and Katara's house once before even though their village was such a short sailing distance from the capitol. After Zuko had taken the throne, the two and Sokka stayed at the palace for a month. After that they resumed world traveling. After a year, Sokka split ways with them and settled down with a girl he had met from the Northern Water tribe. The last Katie had heard, he was a prospering fisherman. Aang and Katara had kept traveling, but three years later decided to get married and they settled in this firenation village. Katie still couldn't understand why since they had both come from colder climates. She herself was still trying to get used to the pressing humidity and constant summer heat.

After twenty minutes of walking into the village they came to a decent sized house set in a yard filled with trees and flowers. They heard some little giggles coming from a bush to their right.

"Ready or not, here I come!" A deep voice boomed from the back yard. A young man tip-toed from around the corner and glanced around with an evil look in his eyes. The man was bald with an arrow tattoo on his head, but was sporting a dark brown beard. He was tall and muscular, no longer a stringy twelve year old. But those dark gray eyes were unmistakably Aang's. He froze mid-prowl when he saw Katie and Zuko standing just outside his property and the evil grimace immediately melted into an ecstatic grin. "Well hello there!" he said happily and jumped forward. Thanks to his airbending he was right in front of them in an instant.

"Aang! It's so good to see you!" Katie said and hugged the man tightly.

"It's good to see you too! Come on, let's go inside. I know Katara will just go crazy when she sees you!" Aang said while shaking Zuko's hand. "Oh, wait. Hold on a second." He reached into the bush at their side and pulled out two small children. He tucked on beneath each arm and led the guests back to the house. Katie recognized the children as the two-year-old twins, Boomy and Sokka. They wiggled and squirmed in their father's grip, but eventually gave up and just hung limply at his sides. Aang nudged the front door open with his foot and called inside with a sing-song voice. "Katara, I have a surprise for you!"

"If it's a dirty diaper it's your turn." She called back in the same tone. She walked out of the kitchen into the main living area and froze at the sight of Katie and Zuko in the doorway. After the initial shock wore off she let out an excited shriek and ran forward to give Katie a hug. "Oh my goodness! Look at you! I would kill to have your figure!"

"Oh puh-leez! You look great! Especially after just having a whopper of a baby."

"You have to see her! She is such a chubby little thing. She has Aang just wrapped around her little finger." Katara grabbed Katie and steered her through the house into the kitchen. The baby was lying on a blanket on the floor surrounded by pillows and toys. Katara scooped her up and held her for Katie to see.

"Oh my goodness, aren't you just the sweetest little thing!" Katie said touching the baby's soft cheek. The baby wrapped her chubby little fist around Katie's finger and pulled it with surprising force into her mouth. "Ow, she has some teeth on her!" Katie said but didn't try pulling the finger away.

"Tell me about it." Katara said. She held the baby out a bit and Katie took her without hesitation.

"You never told me what you've decided to name her." Katie said, rocking slightly.

"Deige." (It's kinda my own rendition of the Gaelic word for ice) Katara said stroking the baby's soft dark hair fondly. "Go ahead and have a seat in the living room. Lunch is almost ready."

"Do you need any help?"

"Of course not! You're a guest. Now go and sit down and relax." Katara said, shooing Katie and the bundle from the room. Zuko and Aang were sitting around, chatting politely. Little Sokka and Boomy were wrestling on the floor much to the amusement of the two grown men. Pretty soon they had abandoned their conversation and were instead calling out encouragement and tips to the twins.

"You guys are barbarians." Katie said, sitting down carefully next to Zuko, but within seconds she was calling out tips as well. "Don't let him get behind you Boomy!"

"Aang! Could you give me a hand here?" Katara called from the kitchen. Aang stood up immediately and left. Zuko turned for the first time to see the little baby in Katie's arms. He smiled, but Katie could see it was just a mask over his sadness. Their Hope had been about this age when she had died. Zuko leaned forward and stroked the baby's hair softly.

"Want to hold her?" Katie asked holding Deige out to Zuko. He looked unsure, but held out his arms anyways to take the baby. He held her and gazed into her round face reverently. He even bent to kiss her forehead softly. Katie felt an overwhelming sadness as she watched him. Deige reached up with her chubby little hands and placed them on either side of Zuko's face. Her little fingers explored his stubbly cheeks and his harsh scar. She grabbed his nose with one hand and his bottom lip with the other and just played with his face as though it were the world's most interesting toy. Katie rested her cheek on Zuko's shoulder and reached around to take one of Deige's hands. She stroked the soft skin with her thumb and tried to ignore the tears of longing that were bubbling in her eyes. Katara stepped out from around the corner and opened her mouth to announce what she had on the tray in her hands. But she froze at the sight of Katie and Zuko. She knew how hard it had been when their daughter passed away. She often felt horrible that she and Aang should be so lucky with their three healthy children. She stepped back silently into the kitchen to allow them some more time.

* * *

It was nearly sunset by the time Katie and Zuko finally managed to pull themselves away and head back to the ship. Zuko was grumbling under his breath even though Katie knew he had had a good time.

"Oh stop being such a whiny baby. That there was a very normal family thing. I thought you were saying that's what you wanted this morning." Katie said playfully, looping her arms through his. Zuko just grumbled incoherently. They returned to the ship and were met by a very confused and anxious crew. They set off almost immediately. Zuko went up to speak to the helmsman about a new course plot and Katie just went down to get ready for bed. Katie sat in front of a mirror and brushed through her hair which was now almost down to her waist. The ends of her hair were bleached almost blonde by the sun while her roots were still dark brown. It was just something her hair had always done and it seemed to amuse Zuko greatly. He had never seen someone with blonde hair. Zuko walked silently into the room and snuck up behind Katie. Of course it wasn't a very good sneak because she could see him in the mirror, but she pretended to act surprised for his dignity's sake. He wrapped his arms around her and let his hand fall until he was cupping her stomach just below the belly button.

"Why did it have to happen?" He asked sadly, like an innocent little boy. It nearly broke Katie's heart.

"We may find out why someday, but never in this lifetime. I promise you though, we're going to see her again." Katie said, leaning back against his chest and wrapping her hands over his own. "We can have more." Zuko rested his chin on her shoulder and gazed down at her stomach. That was what he wanted more than anything in the world, to watch as a life swelled inside her once more and to be able to hold something that was a part of him. But he didn't think he could take the pain of losing another one. He was almost too scared to dream of another child. There was also something else that frightened him.

"What if we forget about Hope?" he asked cautiously.

"Zuko, could you ever forget her?" Katie asked, gazing at his reflection in the mirror.

"Of course not."

"Then it's as easy as that." She tilted her head so she could kiss his cheek.

"I'm also worried about my duties. How could I give a child the attention it deserves when I'm so busy? I don't want to make the same mistakes my own father made." He said quietly.

"Zee, you worry too much." They sat in silence for a short time.

"I could still go with my initial plan and run away. Maybe become a pirate or something." He said with a grin.

"You'd definitely make one dead sexy pirate. But how would a life of pillagry and murder be any better than that of a Lord?"

"At least I would be able to be on the ocean." Zuko said with a shrug. Then a grin slowly spread across his face. "I can really see it now. You could be my own personal wench."

"You're a turd!" Katie said, elbowing his ribs.

"But I'm your turd." He could tell he said something funny by the way she choked on her spit while laughing. "What did I say?"

* * *

There you go. I don't know exactly when my next update will be, so I hope this lasts you for a while. Remember to review! I likes reviews! 


	32. I'm going craAzy!

Well, I wanted to wait until this story got 300 hundred reviews before posting this chapter, but that ain't happening. So here you go. I have a question. Has anybody out there ever stubbed their toe on a pitchfork? Because I have twice. I guess I'm just talented that way. Well, I can't really think of anything to type up here. My life has been pretty boring this week. So, moving on!

**Plutobaby494: **I'm sure Sokka is doing fine.

**Katara183: **I actually got the phrase 'operation impending doom: 2' from Invader Zim.

**Zukoscute2: **That's a little harsh! JK. Thanx for review.

**Elenea Galad: **Thanx for your support.

**Lovergal1227: **Yup, Zuko's a dingbat.

**Evangeline Angerl: **Yup, no problem. And thanx for your review.

**Petitio Principii: **I figured his hair would be dark because of his eyebrows. There really wasn't much else to go on.

**0-Dragon: **I drew a picture of a grown-up Aang and he does kinda look weird. I only wish my scanner worked so I could post it. I don't know how exactly they spell Boomy, and I would check, but I'm too lazy.

**Titan09: **I would have put him together with Suki, but it seems like everybody is doing that and I figured he's a kind of guy that likes the security of home. So that's why I sent him back home. Wow, I think my tongue would fall out if I tried quoting mister Sparrow. I would love to see the pictures you drew! Are you posting them anywhere? I wanna see if people can draw me based on the description I've given of myself. I've drawn a couple as well. One is me in the ballgown and another is of older Zuko without a shirt on. Mmm Mm. He's yummy.

**Athenera: **I make you cry because I can. In fact, I can make just about anybody cry with this picture I drew of a one-legged puppy named "Lil' brudder"

Lil' brudder-"I'm gonna make it on my own"

Me-"You just keep on truckin' little guy"

Lil' brudder-"I'm gonna be a professional basketball player someday! Don't cry for me."

**Sesshamaru's woman:** I LIED! Then next episode apparently is not going to be about the gliders. I should hang my faulty source of info. I've been reading this one girl's Xenga page and it said Zuko is supposed to meet Jun in this next episode, then the one after that is supposed to be solely an episode about Zuko. If that's true than I am one excited little bean! About Aang and Katara's babies, I just figured that's how early people get married in that kind of society and nineteen isn't really that young to be having babies. Both my mom and my sister-in-law had their first children when they were nineteen. At least Katara wasn't twelve. That is so cool that you just hopped a train. My parents would kill me if I did that. then again there really aren't that many trains to hop down here. I actually thought the sister crack was funny. My sister is a lard as well. And I don't know about Jun turning good. She looked pretty evil to me. I think she's going to be another Jet character.

**Fyreflower: **Glad you loved it!

**Someone: **I'll see what I can do. But I already have my next story planned and it'll take all of my attention. I only wish I had every episode on tape. That would make things a lot easier. In fact I wish they would actually show the first episode because I haven't seen it yet. Grrr.

**Randomwriter88: **Sweet ain't it?

**Crouchingbunny: **I had a welt on my leg that lasted for almost two months. The only reason was that I got shot in almost the exact same spot twice. Both were by my dad. But I got back at him and shot him right up the butt. I'm glad you liked my grown-up Aang.

This chapter pretty much just deals with the downside of firebending. And if you're my 300th reviewer, I'll give you a prize! Yay!

* * *

Katie frowned at her pale skin. At first she had thought firebenders had such white skin because of race or genetics. But now she realized it was due to the fact that if you firebend you subconsciously shield yourself from the harmful UV rays of the sun. So her skin which had been tan her entire life was now faded and the scarce freckles on her arms and nose that she had once prided herself in owning were gone. She had learned to suppress her shield for short increments of time and usually spent a few hours every week just sunbathing to try and regain her tan, but it would fade once more within a few days. Now that she had so much extra time on her hands, she wanted to just lie out in the sun and burn to a crisp. Zuko found the whole thing hilarious, but wouldn't allow it in case a crewmember spotted her lying out in nothing but a makeshift bikini. And so there was really nothing to do but go through reading lessons. They weren't for her anymore though. She could now read Chinese fluently even though she didn't know one word of the language. Instead she was teaching Zuko how to read English. He had become very curious and the lessons had started several years ago, but with how busy he had become the lessons had stopped. They figured now was as good a time as any to start them back up again. Katie was surprised at how much he had retained. 

_So do you know what we're having for dinner? _Katie wrote on a piece of paper and handed it over to Zuko. He read it carefully then took the piece of writing charcoal from her.

_Rice and fish. As always. _He scribbled back. He once teased her about how he had learned her language in a few months while it took her nearly four years before she really started to understand his. This earned him a cold shoulder and a mean punch in the arm. He didn't tease her about it anymore.

_I'm going to teach you a harder word today. Sound it out for me, okay? The word is: Supercallafragalisticexpialladocious. _Zuko frowned at the fourteen-syllable word, his lips moving a little as he tried to pronounce it in his head. He gave up and scribbled a note underneath it.

_That's not a word!_

_Oh really? I'll have you know that it's a very important word from where I come from. It's so important in fact that a song was written about it. Don't be dissing my culture! _Zuko read over it a few times before turning to Katie with a confused look.

"What is-"

"Ah ah, write it. Don't speak it." Katie said. Her hand suddenly felt itchy. She scratched it without really thinking and glared at Zuko. He sighed and began to write.

And what the hell does the word mean. If I know why it's so important maybe I'll give it the respect you feel it deserves.

_Supercallafragalisticexpialladocious is the epitome of goodness and well-being! Or at least I think it is. I haven't seen the movie in years. _Zuko rubbed his eyes after this last message in frustration.

"That's enough of a lesson for today. I think we've established I can read your language even if I don't understand anything you write." He said grumpily. Katie laughed and took the paper and charcoal from him to put away. "Do you miss your home?" Zuko asked quietly. Katie had told him where she actually came from a few months after they had been married. To say the least, it shocked him and he was really angry with her for a short time because she had waited so long before telling him. Now it just amazed him. He would sit and listen to her for hours as she told him about things from her world like space travel, automobiles and aerosol cheese. Most of it he figured she was just making up, but it must still be an amazing world that she came from to have created such an active imagination.

"Yeah, sometimes I really miss it. But it's not my home anymore." Katie said and came to sit down next to him. "My home is with you now."

"That can't be too comforting, can it?" Zuko said. He grabbed her arm and redirected her so that she sat on his lap instead.

"Actually, you'd be surprised at how much of a comfort it actually is." Katie said leaning back against his chest. They sat there in a comfortable silence, just savoring each other's company and touch when someone knocked lightly on their door.

"What is it?" Zuko called out.

"I'm sorry to bother you my lord. A storm is approaching from the east. The captain wishes to get your permission to dock at a port town to wait it out." A young soldier said smartly from the hallway. Zuko cursed under his breath.

"I knew we shouldn't have stopped at the avatar's." He said accusingly at Katie. She just shrugged and leaned her head back on his shoulder so she could gaze up at the ceiling in deep thought. "Tell the captain that permission is granted." Zuko called out to the soldier.

"Yes my lord."

"Are you mad at me now?" Katie asked, cocking an eyebrow.

"No." Zuko said sullenly. He was a little upset, but knew from experience that it was better to not be angry with her. She was one of the calmest people he knew but she could tear him apart easily if he got her riled.

"Do you feel that? I think the storm is going to be a big one." Katie said. She was referring to the growing energy around them. She had known for a while that this was how Iroh seemed to have a sixth sense when it came to approaching storms. The air was growing increasingly active with electricity and friction. It really made her feel antsy. She could only compare it to watching a scary movie and knowing that something unstoppable was just around the corner. To a normal firebender, they would just feel a light buzz from all of the activity. But for Katie, it was something much worse. She hadn't been born a firebender and her body didn't quite understand how to block something as complex as energy.

"Yeah, I can. Are you going to be alright?" Zuko asked. The capitol had only experienced a few thunderstorms while Katie had lived there. They had been reasonably small, but she hadn't fared well in any of them. She was still extremely sensitive to her element and it gave her an almost supernatural understanding with it, but the electricity in the air had been something new and unexpected. It had invaded her body like a parasite. The worst case had been during a two hour long storm that had nearly led her over the brink.

"Guess." Katie said, her voice shaking. Already she could feel the uncontrollable affects of the storm. She stood up and began wandering around the room, straightening things unnecessarily. The energy was coming in quickly. Her muscles began to quiver with it. She felt like she had just taken in three gallons of mountain dew. She had the overwhelming urge to just run and keep running until she burned away some of this energy. Zuko reached out for her arm and pulled her back to sit on his lap once more. He wrapped his arms around her tightly so she couldn't move.

"Take a deep breath, Katie. Just concentrate on your breathing and push away anything that doesn't belong." Zuko said soothingly to her. She felt electricity coursing through her muscles. She needed to be moving. It was torture to sit still. Zuko kept murmuring instructions into her hair and gradually she began to absorb what he was telling her to do. She closed her eyes, but they kept twitching beneath the lids. She felt a new power enter her body, it was the power of Solzen's comet as Zuko reached inside her with his mind and suppressed the influx of energy. It was only enough for her to get her concentration straightened out, he felt it was important for her to learn to control it herself. She leaned back against him and fell into sync with his deep, rhythmic breathing. He pulled back gradually, allowing her to stave off the energy on her own. They sat there together for nearly half an hour in a deep meditation. But then the ship beneath them began to rock as they actually entered the storm.

A wave of energy enveloped Katie's body as lightning struck nearby. It snapped her out of her meditation with a jerk. Zuko tightened his grip on her and pulled her against his chest. There was another lightning flash just outside the window. Blinding blue light entered Katie's mind and rushed through her body. She tried to push it back but there was a consecutive flash right after and it was too much for her to control. Her brain began to buzz and her thoughts became incoherent. Everything had been shut down except for pure instinct and that instinct told her that she was frightened. Not only was she frightened, but she was frightened while being trapped in the embrace of something much more powerful than herself. Katie wrenched around in Zuko's arms, trying to get free. She began screeching incoherently and tried biting at his arms. Zuko raised his voice, trying to get through to her to calm her down. But all she could hear was the rushing of pure electricity. A shock went from her into his body causing his muscles to seize up. This was enough for her to break free from his grip and she began scrambling across the bed, blind to where she was actually going. Zuko recovered quickly and caught her. He wrapped his arms tightly around hers and pinned her to the bed with his body.

"CALM DOWN! KATIE, YOU NEED TO CALM DOWN. JUST BREATH. COME ON, BREATH WITH ME." He yelled. But it was no use. He closed his eyes and concentrated on reaching inside her once more to help her suppress the energy. But there was no room for him to enter. She was absolutely filled to the brim with energy and there was no way around it or through it. Katie writhed beneath Zuko, trying to push him away. Then she pushed him with something that wasn't physical. A blast of electricity ripped from her body, striking him in the chest with enough force to lift him up straight in the air and slam him against the ceiling. Katie was on her feet and almost to the door in the fraction of a second it took him to fall back to earth. She reached out and barely touched the door handle with a finger, but the discharge blew the iron door off its hinges. She ran into the hallway, her feet not even touching the ground. The awkwardness of it caused her to loose balance and she fell sideways, ramming her shoulder on the metal wall. There was another blast with the contact to the metal and there was suddenly a hole in the wall that went all the way through the seven and a half inches of steel. Katie regained her balance and literally flew down the hallway. But even in a clearheaded state she usually got lost in this ship. Right now she was little more than a cornered animal. Electric blast after electric blast erupted from her body, drawn from her by the surrounding metal. Her heart was now beating so fast that she should have gone into cardiac arrest a dozen times over, but her body was acting as it's own defibrillator. Her skin began to crawl, she clawed at the flesh on her arms trying to shake the feeling, but that only resulted in more pain. A few men ran down the corridor, drawn by the unearthly screams and cried out at what they saw; their queen hovering a few inches above the ground, her hair standing out in all directions with concentrated energy eeking from her body. One of the men stepped forward cautiously, holding a spear at the ready. A finger of electricity lashed out and struck him unconscious.

Needless to say, they turned tail and ran. Katie pushed herself further away from the ground and began scratching at the ceiling. Just like with every other metal object she touched, it blew away and she floated up through. Her body could feel the lighting flashing only a short distance above her head. There was only one barrier between her and freedom. Katie burst through the second ceiling into the open air. She gasped for breath, icy rain pelted her face sending a small shock through her system with each drop. Solid ground was only a few hundred yards away. Men were bustling around her to bring the ship into port. She began drifting towards the edge of the ship. Then something barreled into her, tackling her to the ground. It was Zuko. When Katie's body hit the floor, a shock went through the ship bringing everyone onboard to their knees. Zuko rolled so that he was between Katie and the steel ground. He wrapped his arms and legs tightly around her. She writhed in his grip, still unconscious even though her body was active. A soldier managed to get to his feet and walked forward cautiously to help.

"DON'T TOUCH US! JUST BRING THE SHIP IN!" Zuko yelled, struggling to keep a grip on Katie and shield himself from her constant attacks. A flash of light leapt from her body at the soldier and he barely managed to jump out of the way. All of the men managed to snap out of their shock and hurried faster than ever to get the ship to the dock. Zuko managed to get a good hold on Katie and picked her up, he carried her off the ship and disappeared from view into a wooded area on the outskirts of the small town. Zuko tried to make sure he was going downhill. Katie still struggled in his arms, but she was growing weaker and she had less of an effect now that she was away from metal. Finally Zuko found what he was looking for. A small cave in a hillside. He made for this and within a few minutes they were out of the freezing rain. Zuko felt exhausted. He put Katie down on the ground but really the only thing he could do to keep her in place was to lay on her. He outweighed her by almost forty pounds and she was more tired than he was. Zuko didn't worry about a fire. Katie's skin was burning hot. Steam drifted off of her to disappear into the night air. She struggled meekly beneath, still letting out scared little cries. He tried to comfort her as much as he could; he stroked her face and muttered unintelligible things to her softly.

"Zuko?" a voice whispered in his ear. Zuko lifted his face and saw that Katie's eyes were starting to clear. But the body beneath him was still writhing in pain. Tears began streaking down her face and she let out a soft cry of pain.

"Ssh, you're all right my love." Zuko whispered.

"Zuko…I…ah!" Katie's body jarred and her eyes began to glaze over once more.

"Come on now Katie. Stay with me." Zuko said patting her cheeks lightly to keep her awake.

"Zuko…don't leave."

"I'll never leave."

* * *

When Katie woke up the next morning, she was very aware of the 160 pounds of man lying on top of her. The effect was that her entire body was asleep. But she was grateful for it. Several areas of her face felt as though they had been rubbed down with sand paper and left out in the sun for a few days.

"Zuko?" She tried to say. It took her a few tries before it actually came out loud enough to cause him to stir. He lifted his face from the place it had been resting in the crook of her neck and gave her a concerned look.

"Are you alright?"

"I don't know." Zuko began shifting his weight carefully so he could roll off of her. "No wait. Don't move. I don't want to feel it yet." Katie said trying to grab his shirt to stop him from moving. The sudden movement sent pins and needles up her arm and her skin burned as the cold rush of air hit it. Zuko froze, trying to think of what was best to do. In the end he did as she said and lowered himself back down as carefully as he could.

"What happened?" Katie asked hoarsely.

"That depends on what you remember."

"I remember…meditating. But that's about it." She said, trying to shift herself just a fraction for comforts sake.

"You lost control." Zuko said after a momentary pause.

"Was anybody hurt?" Katie asked. That was her greatest fear.

"I've got a few burns and bruises. But I think that's the worst of it." Zuko said, deciding it best to leave out the unconscious soldier in the hallway he had passed when pursuing her.

"Sorry about that."

"No, it's my fault. I never should have made you swap blood on our wedding night."

"Zee, you need to stop blaming yourself for every little thing! I swear, I've never met such a pessimistic dinkleberry in my entire life!"

"Glad to see you're feeling a little better." Zuko said with a smile.

"Let's see just how good I feel once the blood starts circulating once more." Katie said hoarsely. Zuko nodded and carefully hoisted himself off of her. Her body felt like it had been covered in lead. She could wiggle her toes, so she at least knew she wasn't paralyzed. After a few minutes she finally managed to sit up with Zuko's help. "Maybe we should go back to the ship." Katie said as she tested lifting up her arms.

"Just to warn you though, after last night you may be called a few things." Zuko said wrapping an arm around her waist and helping her stand up.

"Like what, pray tell?"

"Like Denko Azuma."

"That actually sounds pretty. What does it mean?" Katie asked as she fingered her frazzled hair. Then she noticed her fingernails were black.

"Lightening devil."

"I think it actually has a rather jolly ring to it." Katie said, hoping her humor masked her agony. They had barely made it to the cave entrance when her feet collapsed beneath her. Zuko picked her up easily and carried her back to the ship. Katie glanced around at the deck. She could see definite scorch marks at one spot, she had an uneasy feeling that she had been the cause of it.

"Firelord Zuko! Thank Agni you are all right! I was beginning to grow worried for your safety!" An all to familiar and nasty voice said from behind them. Zuko turned to face the source of the voice. As can be guessed, it was Zhao.

"What are you doing here?" Zuko asked with a glare.

"I received news that your ship was in the harbor. I just wanted to offer you a place to stay and rest." Zhao said with a smirk.

"That's very kind of you, but we will be shoving out now that the storm has passed." Zuko said turning his back on Zhao and making his way to their room without another word. Katie chanced a backward glance expecting to see Zhao looking disappointed, but he was grinning. He gave her a nod and a wink and stepped back on shore.

* * *

(singing) I'm going craaaazy, why don't you come along? I must be craAzy, to sing this song!

(still singing) when Mary had a little lamb the doctor was surprised, but when old McDonald had a farm the doctor nearly died.

(And yet still singing) I'm going craaaazy, why don't you come along? I must be craAzy, to sing this song!

Okay, I'm done. Remember, 300th reviewer gets a prize! Want to know what it is? than review!


	33. itchy

Wow, all sorts of adventures today. My brother caught a bull snake up on the mountain. We haven't measured it yet, but we're thinking it's a little over five feet long. It's awesome. I love snakes. I had it wrapped around my neck and it started getting fresh with me. It tried going down my shirt and then started licking my ear...the perv. Then it went under the couch and I was the one that had to go after it. It got itself all tangled up in the springs, so I had to untangle it as the stoopid thing was hissing at me. Plus the couch weighs a lot so I was in constant fear that the three people lifting it would suddenly drop it on my head. Let's see, what else? I decorated my dad's deer heads. I usually dress them up as Santa's reindeer for christmas, but I decided to give them a halloween makeover this year. So far I've only given them fangs and I made evil eyes for them out of acrylic. They're pretty freaky looking. We're trying to see how long it takes for my dad to notice. If he doesn't noticeby the end of this week (which is extremely likely) then I'm just going topoint it out to him.

**Elf of Rohan: **Yay! It's your first review to my story and you're a winner!how's that for a welcome? You're prize is a lifetime supply of gummy peaches. Unfortunately you only have five seconds to eat them. Open wide because I am lobbing them at you from this side of the comp. screen.

**Darklight4ever: **Sorry, you were to late forthe prize. As a consolation, here's a sandwich. Yay for weird things indeed.

**Elenea Galad: **I dont think hell would have much of an effect on him, he being a firebender and all. But that's a mean thing to do anyways. Shame on you! JK

**O-dragon: **Don't worry girlfriend. I know you'll find someone out there. There's someone for everyone. I'm hoping I'll find one too. Being married to a fictional character ain't all it's cracked up to be. Moldyeel guts? Eeew.

**Sesshomaru's woman: **You're a sneaky little devil, ain't ya? I know this next episode isn't going to be all about Zuko, neither will the next one, butI'm pretty sure the one after that is going to be an episode all about Zuko pre-agnikai. I useAgni instead of God because Agni is the name of theHindugod of fire. Or at least I think it is. everyone says it is so I've just been using it. Hee hee. When I first saw Bato's name I thought it said Bano and it made me laugh. I went to Mexico a while back and as far as I could tell, Bano meant 'toilet'.But Idon't know for sure, I took french, not spanish. I'm sorry your parents are making you go camping. But don't worry.Nickelodeon willprobably show reruns of the new episode until we get sick of it. Don't get caught being sneaky and thanx for review.

**Plutobaby494: **He's always planning something, the twit.

**Petitio Principii: **I don't think any kind of therapy could help that sleaze.

**Zukoscute2: **I'll do what I can to make Zhao stop scaring you. (Slaps Zhao upside the head. "Knock it off!")

**FangonForest: **I updated today just for you bud!

**Randomwriter88:**Don't be gettin' ahead of me now!

**Titan09: **Dinkleberry ain't mine. It's a really common name'round here. I checked outsome of  
Booter Freaks stuff. It was hilarious. Iespecially liked the blue spirit one with Zhao. Those were some great spoofs, I'll have totry and remember them. Kokopelli? the little flute guys? Sounds cool. Are you saying youdon't know me? I think anybody who's read to this point knows me as well or better than myclosest friends! Will yoooou be my friend? Sorry, just felt like being creepy.Go ahead and rip Zhao's head off! I'll standandwatch whilst laughingmaniacally.

**Lovergal1227:** Nope, he's not. I'm doing something different this time.

**Evangline Angel: **Random fangirlyness is fun, don't apologize. And feel free to use the storm thing.

**Angel: **I'm putting the rest of the verses to the crazy song at the bottom of this chapter so you can sing them to your dog as well!

**Athenera: **I have nothing against black fingernails. In fact, that's what color mine are right now. But it's kinda weird when they turn black due to electricution. I was wondering if you have a story out yet? If you put in the idea you gave me I can't wait to read it!

**Angeltread: **Yay for wickedness!

Well, for this chapter I comandeered my brother's Japanese/English dictionary, so I gave a few things better names than I have before (most of the Oc names were just stolen from a computer game manual). But he has now taken it back so I guess I'm back to scrounging after this chapter.

* * *

Katie laid on her bed as the ship's physician looked over her. She noticed that he seemed a bit edgy and couldn't say she blamed him. The crew had relocated all of Katie and Zuko's possessions into a new room that still had a door in tact. 

"Well, It seems you've sustained no physical damage other than a few burns." The man said giving her hand a gentle pat. "What you are feeling now is just exhaustion and a few after affects of…last night's circumstances. All you need is rest."

"Thank you, Ishi." Katie said. The man took this (quite gratefully) as a word of dismissal. He gathered up his tools and scurried out of the room. Katie glared down at her body. She all of a sudden felt like a werewolf: Unable to control the effects on her caused by a celestial body that turned her into a deadly force. Except her bane wasn't the full moon. She heaved a sigh and tried to wriggle into a more comfortable position, but she felt like every part of her weighed double. There was a soft knock on the door and she called out permission to enter. Zuko opened the door a crack and peeked in, trying but failing to hide a self-satisfied grin on his face.

"How are you feeling?"

"Like a big steamy pile of crap." She said, giving him a glare for looking so happy.

"Let's see what we can do about that. I got you a present." He stepped all the way into the room, a large black sack was cradled in his arms. And the sack was moving.

"What is that?" Katie asked warily. His grin broadened and he put the bundle down on her lap. There was a deep grunt as the thing inside struggled to get free.

"You have to open it." Zuko said. Katie lifted her hand cautiously and pulled up the top of the sack. She leaned forward and peered inside. Staring back at her was the cutest, fuzziest face she had ever seen.

"Oh my." A weird little creature climbed out of the bag and climbed up on her chest. It began sniffing her face and licked her nose affectionately. "What is it?" She asked between pleased giggles. She thought it looked a lot like a ferret only it was the size of a dachshund and had a shorter snout. It was also a dull red color. This made her think of a red panda, but this thing had the hands and tail of a lemur or monkey.

"It's a Kokishin." He said scratching its ears. "They're very rare, but there was a man selling them in the city."

"It's adorable!" She said as the thing nuzzled her hair. Since coming here she hadn't had a pet of her own other than a rhino named Precious that she would ride around every weekend. She realized now that it had been killing her. If she had the choice Katie would almost rather be around animals than humans.

"The merchant assured me it was his friendliest one. His name is Rado."

"The merchant?" Katie asked trying to stop the thing from crawling on top of her head, but in her exhausted state she really couldn't put up much of a fight.

"No, the Kokishin's name is Rado." Zuko said pulling the thing off her head. "It means 'lard'" he placed Rado in her arms.

"Ahh, the name suites him well." Katie said hugging the squishy animal close. It was happy for the attention. It wiggled until it was comfortable and fell asleep on her chest within seconds. "Thank you Zee."

"So you're happy now?"

"Yup, you did good." She said grabbing his shirt and pulling him close enough to kiss.

"I have to run. I'll come down and check on you a little later, okay?" Zuko said giving a second kiss.

"Alright. See you." Katie said waving him away. After he left she stared down at the fluffy bundle in her arms. She just couldn't get over how adorable the thing was. Rado was like a living teddy bear. His fur was as soft as chinchilla and he was just the cuddliest thing she had ever seen. "Where have you been all my life?" She asked hugging him tightly. It seemed like the only sounds he made were deep little grunts or a sort of low purring. She shifted Rado over to the spot on the bed beside her and curled up next to him. He woke up immediately and crawled over to her. He laid back down only when he was touching her and fell asleep just as quickly as before. Katie smiled and joined him.

* * *

Zuko finally made it back to their room around sunset. Katie was curled up, still fast asleep. He smiled and sat on the bed to take off his boots. Katie woke up and turned her head so she could see him. 

"I'm sorry Zuko. But I've fallen in love with someone else." She said sadly. Zuko turned and frowned at her.

"Excuse me?"

"He's just more snuggly than you are." Katie said with a sigh and nodded down at Rado who was still in her arms.

"We'll see about that." Zuko said with a grin and crawled under the covers. He spooned up behind her and rubbed his nose affectionately against the skin on her neck. He hadn't shaved in a few days so Katie squirmed and tried to shove his face away.

"Sorry, you aren't squishy enough." She said sadly to Zuko.

"Since when is squishyness a factor in being snuggly?" Zuko asked with a frown. Katie couldn't keep down her laughter; that was a sentence she had never expected to hear from the powerful firelord.

"It just is." Katie said hugging Rado a little tighter. Zuko let out an annoyed grunt.

"Well, he may be snugglier, but can he do this?" Zuko pulled Rado from Katie's arms and tossed him lightly so he landed unharmed a few feet away. Katie let out a little cry of protest but Zuko already shifted so that he was now on her other side, facing her. He wrapped an arm around her waist and rolled so that she was now lying on top of him. "Or this?" He placed a hand behind her neck and pulled her down so that he could kiss her tenderly. Katie pressed her mouth harder against his in response and he let his tongue sneak past her lips. They had completely pulled themselves away from reality when a wet nose pressed up against the side of their mouths and sniffed curiously. Katie couldn't help but pull away and start laughing. Rado immediately took the opportunity to climb between them to lay down on Zuko's neck.

"You're just asking for it." He said as a mock threat to the fuzzy critter. Katie shifted herself off of Zuko's chest and laid her head on his shoulder.

"He's so cute." She said kissing Rado's nose. Zuko let out a grunt and stroked Rado's soft back. "Are all Koki-whatevers like this one?"

"Yeah, they all feel like they have to be the center of attention." He said affectionately. "My uncle gave me one when I was little. Her name was Kakitateru."

"Oh, that's sweet."

"Yes, until Zula got a hold of her." Zuko said sadly. "Kaki was just like this one. I'd forgotten how much I missed her until that night I spent with you in the cave, when you started snuggling."

"I wasn't snuggling! I was sharing body warmth! You're the one that started trying to make out!" Katie said indignantly.

"You didn't seem to mind." Zuko said giving her a sly grin. Katie opened her mouth to say something but nothing came to mind. So she frowned, removed Rado from Zuko's neck and rolled so that her back was to him.

"Rado is still snugglier."

* * *

Zuko was the first to wake up the next morning. Katie woke up as he climbed out of bed and began changing into clean clothes. She always got an evil little pleasure while watching him dress. She could just never get tired of looking at his deeply defined muscles. He wandered around the room half naked looking for a clean shirt. He turned around so that he was facing Katie and she let out a little gasp of shock. There was a scorch mark in the center of Zuko's chest that was roughly the size of a grapefruit. Zuko glanced over at her curiously. 

"What happened to your chest?" Katie asked. Zuko looked down and noticed the burn for the first time. He thought back to the other night when Katie had blasted him at the ceiling. He touched the burn carefully, but it didn't hurt at all.

"It's nothing." He said with a shrug and found the shirt he was looking for.

"I did it, didn't I?" Katie asked. Zuko pulled the shirt over his head and gave her a nonchalant smile.

"Don't even worry about it. I didn't even notice it until you said anything." He leaned down and kissed her softly. "I'm heading up on deck. Feel free to join me once you feel up to it." He gave Rado a little scratch on the ears and turned to leave the room.

"Wait! What do these things eat?" Katie said giving her chubby pet a little poke in the gut. Zuko paused at the door and smiled at her.

"Kokishin's are pretty much the animal embodiment of my uncle. They eat anything." He left the room. Katie glanced back down at Rado. The dozy animal had finally woken up and it seemed to experience a sudden burst of energy. Katie sat up, somewhat surprised that she felt completely normal, and couldn't help but give in to Rado's antics. She spent the entire morning playing hide and seek with the little guy until she realized that she was starving. She changed into something not tattered and charred and went up to the mess hall with Rado perched on her shoulder like a fur boa. There were very few men in the mess hall when she got there and they immediately cleared out. She couldn't tell if this was because of the other night or because it wasn't proper for common folk to dine with royalty. Whichever it was made her feel sad and a bit lonely. She had looked forward to this trip thinking it would be the same as her first few months with Zuko, but she just couldn't forge the friendship with these men that she had with Zuko's crew. A cook set a plate down in front of her and immediately left the room for her to dine in peace. Katie sighed and began eating. Anything on the plate she didn't like she handed down to Rado. Zuko was right, Kokishin's eat anything. As a test she held out her napkin and it took quite a bit of effort to wrestle it away from him before he snarfed that down too. After breakfast, Katie went up on deck to get some fresh air. She could see Zuko through the window to the helm room. He was sitting at a small table, his brow furrowed as he sifted through some papers. Rado suddenly leapt from his place on her shoulder and scampered off. She watched him and saw a gray blur disappear behind a crate. It was a nasty ship rat. So apparently the animal had a purpose other than being cute. She was surprised at how fast he could move. Katie followed after to make sure he didn't get underfoot of the crew.

Rado chased the rat to a balcony that was pretty much abandoned; it was too narrow to use while carrying loads. Katie followed on and watched as he finally caught his prey. She turned away though when he began eating the rat. She looked out over the water. She really loved the ocean. She looked down into it's black depths trying to imagine the miles of nothing but water between her and solid ground. She mildly wondered if there were whales below the ship. Katie scanned the horizon, trying to ignore the icky smacky noises coming from behind her, when she noticed a ship. It looked firenation, it was some sort of a steel rig. But it didn't look anything like the military vessels. In fact it just looked like someone had nailed a bunch of steel to a pirate ship. She watched it for a while and noticed that it was drifting closer and closer to their ship. An uneasy feeling came over her. The ship was coming towards them too quickly. She grabbed Rado and hurried up to the helm room.

"Hey Zuko, there's a ship coming towards us." She said jabbing a thumb over her shoulder.

"What?" Zuko stood up and walked over to the window that looked out over the east side. The other ship was extremely close now and showed no signs of slowing down. Zuko cursed under his breath. "Where's the watchman!" He demanded to no one in particular. He reached down and grabbed a spyglass from the desk. He had an uneasy feeling as to who was commanding that ship. Sure enough, Zhao was standing proudly at the hull of the ship. Zuko cussed himself out in his head. He hadn't paid Zhao any attention at the port. Zhao had been un-honorably disbanded from the military because of crimes against the crown almost immediately after Zuko became lord. Zuko hadn't heard anything from his old opponent since then and had figured he'd just taken a settled life. Zuko had assumed too much. He put the spyglass down and began barking out orders to prepare any catapults on the ship. Katie took up the spyglass and looked out at the ship barreling towards them. It was really thickly built, perhaps for the very purpose of acting as a ram. She could tell that Zhao meant to plow right into their ship

"Stay up here Katie!" Zuko said before running out the door, yelling more orders out to the crew. Katie pressed her nose up to the glass and watched the proceedings below. A ball of tar was loaded into the first catapult and lit. They took careful aim and let it fly. It hit the very front of the ship and caused it to slow down. Katie put the spyglass back to her eye and saw that the happy smirk was gone from Zhao's face. He had obviously thought there wouldn't be any resistance. She tried to read his lips as he yelled to the men on his ship. Then Katie realized that not all of them were men. A young woman stepped up to stand beside Zhao. Katie didn't need the spyglass to see the woman's yellow, snake-like eyes. It was Zula.

* * *

Zhao changed heart at the last minute and commanded the crew to pull up alongside Zuko's ship. He actually preferred it this way. 

"Zuko is mine, Zhao." Zula murmured from his left. Zhao gave her a sidelong glance and smirked at her.

"Finders keepers Zula. You can have the girl." He said.

"I will have them both. If you do anything to get in my way I swear I'll…"

"You forget your place woman." Zhao growled.

"And you forget who you're dealing with."

* * *

The enemy ship drifted up beside their own. Zhao's men leapt the gap easily while Zuko's stood ready for the attack. Two seconds after the fighting began the first blood was spilt. Katie felt her body go numb as she watched the battle below. She tried to keep Zuko in sight, but it was nearly impossible. The deck was now swarming with men. Swords clashed and fire blasted from every direction. But the proximity was too close to bend without the risk of scorching comrades so it was soon abandoned. Katie turned and glanced around the room desperately for some means to protect herself if the need arose. She knew that on Zuko's old ship there were stores of weapons all over the ship as a precaution. She also knew that one had been in the helm room. She only wished that this ship had that feature as well. There were several doors on one wall, she ran over and checked these. The first one was just a storage closet but she nearly burst with relief when she opened the second and saw the glinting of weaponry. There was no armor, which made her a little uncomfortable, but she would just have to cope. She found two swords which she strapped to her back, then grabbed a dagger and slipped it in her boot. There at the very back of the closet was a dozen bows and a stack of quivers filled with arrows. She grabbed as many quivers as she could and a bow and ran back to the window. She lifted her foot and incinerated the glass with a powerful fire burst. Katie notched an arrow and pulled back the string. The bow had more resistance than she was used to so she wouldn't have as long to take aim. She sighted the nearest enemy which was on the balcony just below her and fired. Most of Zhao's men weren't wearing armor of any kind, so Katie picked them off as best she could, praying that she didn't accidentally hit one of her people. Someone must have been listening because every arrow hit its target. The battle began to spread to different decks. Enemies were now out of Katie's range completely. All she could do was watch helplessly. Zhao's men were good, they seemed to be an equal match to Zuko's. But the biggest problem was the Zuko was outnumbered.Katie paced the room like a caged animal. She wished she could be down there helping. She didn't even know what was keeping her in the helm room in the first place. Was it just because Zuko told her? She felt like a coward.

* * *

Zhao swiped with his blade and the man in front of him let out a scream of agony as the heated steel cut almost completely through his thigh. The man dropped to the ground and began to writhe. Zhao stepped over him and started looking for his next victim. He spotted him. Zuko was in plain sight fighting away three men at once with his bare hands. It was really a bit disconcerting to watch, but Zhao hadn't been through as much as he had to just chicken out now. He reached into the folds of his black cloak and pulled out a dagger. He touched the blade and it began to glow red. He held it loosely and flicked it almost casually. It flew through the air with surprising speed, straight at Zuko's unarmored chest.

* * *

Katie bit her lip until it began to bleed. She couldn't tell which side was winning. She felt a fluttery feeling in her stomach and she just couldn't sit still. She ran her fingers through her hair and began pulling at it. The pain actually felt good. Adrenaline began racing through her body. She wanted to be down there. She wanted to be fighting and killing. She wanted to be moving. The helmsman watched her cautiously from his place. He was trying to keep the ship steady, but it was getting more difficult as the water became choppier and the clouds began to darken. 

Katie's hands started to itch.

* * *

Bow down to my evilness! Bwahahahaa!

Kay, the craAzy song made a lot of you happy, so I'm gonna write down the rest of the verses and then there's another crazy song that I love that I'm writing down for ya'll as well.

(singing) Once there was a little cat and all she ate was yarn! When her little kittens came they all had sweaters on!

Once there was a little dog and all she ate were cans! When her little puppies came they were driving in trans ams!

Once there was a little fox and all she ate were pegs! When her little foxes came they all had wooden legs!

Those are the verses, now for the next song which is called "I'm a Nut!"

(singing) I'm a little acorn round, lyin' on the cold, cold ground. Everybody steps on me, that is why I'm cracked you see. I'm a nut, in a rut, I'm a nut! (clap clap)

Called myself up on the phone, just to see if I was home. Asked myself out for a date, picked myself up at half past 8. I'm a nut, in a rut, I'm a nut!

Took myself out to the show, sat me down on the second row. Put my arms around my waist, got so fresh I slapped my face. I'm a nut, in a rut, I'm a nut!

I can sing and I can dance, I were ruffles on my oops boys take another guess! I wear ruffles on my dress. I'm a nut, in a rut, I'm a nut! (clap clap)

I love crazy songs. That's it. They're kinda dumb. I learned them at camp, so...enough said, right? Please review, you know you wanna!


	34. just gonna sneak this 'un in there

Hm, I had a cool dream the other night. I think I'll use it to make write a story for sci-fi. It was really weird though, like one of the main parts was this lady told me my aura was really funky. So i asked her if that was good and she said it was very good, but it would lead to a conflict between me and her son (who's a friend of mine) and it was a conflict I would win. She was baking cookies, so I pulled a tray of them out of the oven and dropped them on the ground. So she started reading my fortune from the broken cookies. But the fortunes were just things like "the future of one of your white shoelaces looks bleak." apparently you can only tell mini fortunes from cookies. Then we all got whisked away to some fantasy world where my guy friend was supposed to become prince and I had to marry him. But he became suddenly rich so I was okay with it. Anyways. 'Nuther fun story. I was at my church for our weekly activity and I could hear someone playing the piano down the hall, so I went to investigate and it turned out to be this somewhat cute guy in my ward. So I waved and gave him a thumbs up and turned to leave the room but this really annoying girl had followed me and shut the door behind me and she was holding it shut. Luckily i'm muchos stronger than her so I just yanked it open enought to slip back out, but my elbow hit the lightswitch and turned the light off so I felt like a total dip. Okay, moving on now.

**Zukoscute2: **Do what?

**Titan09: **I promise that I'm not a 40 year old creepy stalker dude. But it's good to be safe, right? Ferrets rock! I've had two in my lifetime. One's name was Lucy and my second one was named Taz. He would just roam free in my bedroom. At night he would sleep on my feet and then start biting my toes. Then I would kick him. And I'm not a fiend! I'm a heathen.

**Elf of Rohan: **Sorry, but I just have to kill Zuko. JK! JK!

**Plutobaby494: **Hmm, I don't really know yet why Zula was with Zhao. I'll think about it and write it down in the next chapter.

**Lovergal1227: **Zula's just a twit.

**Khazia: **Glad you liked the nut song and snuggling. I enjoyed writing it.

**Evangline Angel: **I hope this chapter is a bit more gripping, but truth be told I'm just not the best at writing action. Don't worry. We're all fangirls deep down. And there ain't gonna be a sequel. I would go insane if I even attempted it.

**Athenera: **I'm trying to figure out what Zhao and Zula's relationship is.I'll get back to ya on that in the next chapter. I'm just making this up as I go.

**O-dragon: **My lips are sealed. I'm afraid you'll just have to read on to find out.

**Serori: **AH! DON'T DIE! Here's the next chapter, just don't go towards the light!

**Katara183: **I'm sorry you're sick! I'll try and use my ESP to make you feel better, but it didn't work for Khazia so I don't know if it will help any. I'll try anyways (closes eyes and hums).

**Sesshomaru's woman: **I'm totally willing to listen to problems and give what advice I can. But I'm afraid I'm not all to sure about how good my skills are. I think I might have offended Zukopunk/Punk17 with the advice I gave them. They haven't reviewed since.

**Randomwriter88: **Woot! Ten points! You show them bystanders!

Kay, I'm gonna copy something Khazia said in her story. If there's anyone out there who has any fan art from this fic posted, could you let me know where it is because I would feel all bubbly and happy to see it and I'll link it to my profile page. I have some fanart myself, but no way to post it. How sad. Kay, read now.

* * *

There was a flash of silver and the flying dagger was hit off course. Zhao stood there stunned for half a second before whirling to face the one who had thwarted him. It was Zula.

"He's mine Zhao!" She yelled angrily, running past him. But when they both looked up, Zuko was gone, completely unaware of his brush with death.

"Now do you see what you've done!" Zhao growled.

"You are a coward and a weakling!" Zula said and stalked off in search of her brother.

* * *

Katie couldn't take it anymore. Her mind was buzzing, she needed to be down there. She pulled the two swords from their sheath on her back and sprinted from the helm room. She didn't pay any attention to the fact that she was now two times faster and stronger than normal, when she started clashing steel against the first opponent she saw she became lost in the euphoria of battle. She hacked and slashed her way through soldier after soldier, barely having the presence of mind to not hurt her own men. She didn't notice the few wayward blows that struck her arms and legs. She just wanted to feel more of this jubilation she felt from pushing her body to its physical limit and causing pain in the process.

Zula stalked around the ship in search of Zuko. His men were leery to harm her because of her gender. Zula ignored them, occasionally she would cut one of them down, but her mind was focused. She rounded a corner and scanned the swarm of fighting and bleeding men. One person stood out from the rest of them. One person whose body was moving with a fluid grace while at the same time jabbing and cutting harshly. It was Zuko's wench. Hatred rushed through Zula's body. This girl had taken Zula's crown and had won the affection of her father without any effort. She had made Zula look like a fool in front of the entire palace and had forced her to live a life of dishonor when she could have had a chance to redeem it. Zula gave her swords a testy spin and began slinking forward, a new target in her sights.

* * *

"You're mine Zuko!" Zhao yelled. Zuko knocked out the man in front of him and turned to face the voice.

"Zhao! You are a fool! What is to be gained from leading so many men to death!" Zuko yelled angrily waving at the carnage before him. Zhao continued walking towards the firelord, a sword in one hand and a mace in the other.

"Personal satisfaction." Zhao cried and ran at Zuko.

* * *

Katie saw Zula coming towards her but didn't really think much of it. She was currently surrounded by people that were trying to take her down, Zula would just have to wait her turn. Katie had become an unstoppable force. She had seven years of intense training from various masters under her belt now as well as her elemental sensitivity. Her flesh began to itch as though she were now covered in ants. The itching lessened the faster she moved. She raised her sword to bring it down on one soldier when she felt it yanked from her hand. It barely fazed Katie, she kicked the man in the jaw instead, causing his head to jerk roughly and he fell to the ground unconscious. Katie turned to face the next one. Zula stood in front of her with the missing blade in her left hand and a hooked long sword in the other which she had used to snatch Katie's weapon out of the air.

"Nice work, you-" Zula began, but Katie didn't care what her sister-in-law had to say, she barely acknowledged that it was even Zula. Katie just needed to keep moving, had to keep the blood flowing. Zula barely got the two swords up in time to block Katie's first strike. The force behind the blow was staggering and it took Zula off guard. She looked into Katie's face in confusion expecting to see the face she remembered from seven years ago, but the eyes in this woman's head weren't the ones she remembered. They glowed an electric blue and the face was contorted in what could only be explained as a grimace, yet it was a grimace of pleasure if that makes any sense. Katie raised her sword back up with inhuman speed and brought it back down against Zula once more.

* * *

"Zhao, I'm giving you one last chance to retreat and spare a few lives, including your own." Zuko said, raising his sword easily to block on of Zhao's blows.

"What's the matter? Palace life got you soft?" Zhao said, whirling and bringing his blade back down towards Zuko's neck. Zuko blocked this as well and shoved Zhao's blade away.

"Yes, it has. I could kill you so easily right now it isn't funny. But I'm giving you this last chance to turn back."

"You're a fool Zuko! You're the worst thing that ever happened to this nation!" Zhao yelled bringing his sword up and hacking it at Zuko again and again.

* * *

Zula finally managed to start getting in a few attacks of her own. She soon found that she was unable to match Katie physically, so she resorted to bending. She shot a powerful gust of the hottest flame she could conjure straight at Katie's face. Since they stood only a few feet apart from each other, Zula had expected the flame to hit Katie full force without any problem whatsoever. But the second Zula released the flame, it split and arced back at her, hitting her with staggering force in the chest. Zula looked up into Katie's face with horror. Katie stood over Zula and raised her sword.

* * *

"I told you I would see you executed someday Zuko. And when you're gone, maybe I'll have a little fun with your _queen _before I kill her as well." Zhao said, trying to mask the exhaustion beginning to edge his body.

"You're horrible at bluffing Zhao." Zuko said taking a chance and wiping his rain-soaked bangs from his eyes. He was beginning to curse his long hair.

"There's no bluff about it. You're only moments away from hell's gates." Zhao said, taking Zuko's brief lapse as an opening. He swung the sword around but Zuko caught it with his own. Zhao swung his mace at Zuko's vulnerable stomach, but Zuko managed to dodge enough that it only ripped his shirt. "Then again, it looks like you've already had a brush with hell." Zhao said nodding to the now visible scorch mark on Zuko's chest. Zuko seemed to actually notice for the first time that it was raining. He shoved Zhao away from him and quickly turned to glance up at the window to the helm room. He had last seen Katie firing arrows from there, but now she was gone.

* * *

Katie saw Zula's eyes through her clouded mind and paused. The two yellow orbs stared up at Katie in pure terror. Those eyes that were so much like Zuko's. Katie lowered her sword slowly and looked around her at the gory scenery. Men lay dead or dying all around her. She had done this. She had destroyed these people. The rain began coming down even harder. Rivulets of water stained scarlet began flowing all around her, pooling at her feet. The entire deck took on the look of a sea of blood. Katie could smell it, she could taste it in her mouth. She wanted to puke. She lowered her sword and looked down at herself. She was also covered in it. Her knees buckled beneath her and she collapsed to the ground where she tried to choke back her sobs and the vomit rising in her throat. From the corner of her eye she saw Zula slowly rise to her feet and pick up a fallen sword. Katie was too distraught to do anything about it, but a flash of lightening took over her body and senses once more. As Zula raised her sword, Katie was on her feet again and her hand was tight around Zula's throat. In a flash of an instant they were both nearly a hundred yards away from where they had been previously fighting. Katie had Zula pinned to an iron wall. The sword fell from Zula's hand with a deafening clang and she began clawing at Katie's hand. Katie glowered at her sister-in-law, sparks arced from her hand into the tender flesh of Zula's neck. Zula was protected to some degree by her firebending, but the constant current caused her body to spasm. Katie fought with herself internally until she was once more the dominating force in her own body. She let Zula go with a cry and backed away. _NO! This is _my _body! _Her mind screamed. She clutched at her hair and sunk to her knees, trying to steady her breathing. The battle raged on around her while the thunder rolled and the lightening struck.

* * *

Zhao raised his mace and wrenched it towards Zuko's back. Zucko side-stepped at the last second and caught the handle of the weapon in his hand.

"I haven't got time for this Zhou! Call your men back now!" Zuko said. Without another word he took off, his eyes scanning the faces around him.

"GET BACK HERE YOU COWARD!" Zhao yelled and dashed after his prey. Zuko ignored him and continued his search. He ran to a railing that overlooked a deck below and leaned over hastily. There right below him was Katie. She was kneeling on the ground, her hands tangled in her hair as though forcing back a migraine. Only a few feet away was Zula who appeared to be paralyzed with terror.

"KATIE!" Zuko yelled down to her. He needed to know if she was all right, if she was in control. Slowly, her head raised and she looked straight at him. Zuko nearly cried out in relief, but as he watched her, her eyes took on a transformation. A white/blue glow spread from her pupils to her irises until her entire eyes were glowing. Everything seemed to slow down for a brief moment. Zuko could feel it coming, but there was no way to stop it in time. A bolt of lightening came down from the sky and touched Katie's forehead as though it were a finger caressing a child. It all happened in a flash, but the look on her face was burned into Zuko's memory. She wasn't a look of fear or of pain. It was of understanding. It was content. It took Zuko a few seconds for his eyes to readjust after the blinding flash. The thunder from the thing caused the entire ship to quiver and groan, nearly knocking him off his feet. But when he could finally see Katie once more she was no longer beneath him. She was across the ship, staring around serenely at the carnage. She held a hand over a fallen soldier that was lying at her feet. An orange bolt of energy flowed from her hand into his still body. The man glowed for a second and then his injuries seemed to knit themselves back together. He let in a tremendous gasp of air and opened his eyes. His body began to shake as he became readjusted to life. Everyone on the ship had frozen and were watching Katie as, in a flash, she was standing over the next man and the process began all over again. Or at least everyone had frozen except for one. Zhao seemed oblivious to anything but Zuko's rigid back. The pale neck before him was almost intoxicatingly exposed. Zhao wanted more than anything to introduce his sword to Zuko's neck. He wanted so badly to see that scarred face mounted on the wall when Zhao took Zuko's throne. Zhao raised his sword, but at the same time Katie raised her hand. From across the ship the bolt of white hot energy shot from her hand and struck him in the chest. He fell dead, a triumphant grin on his face.

* * *

Everything was bright white, but her eyes were closed. Katie opened her eyes with a groan. Surrounding her were dark shapes set against the blindingly white background. Katie lifted her hand, trying to shield her eyes, but then she realized that the light was coming from behind her eyes. She finally became aware that she was being cradled against a strong chest. Katie shook her head and tried to turn to look up at the owner of the chest. She could feel someone touching her cheek but there were no noises. There was an eerie silence all around her. All she could hear was the faint pounding of her own heartbeat. After what seemed an eternity the sounds began to come in, they were muffled at first, but over more time they became louder and clearer.

"Please Katie, please snap out of it! Agni! I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

_Stop blaming yourself you doof. _Katie tried to say, but she couldn't move her lips to form the words. All she could seem to really move was her right arm. She lifted it up and touched Zuko's face reassuringly. Zuko let out a choked sort of gasp of relief and pressed his forehead against hers. When he finally found the strength he stood up with her held bridal style in his arms. He carried her down to their room and laid her down on the bed where she fell thankfully into a deep sleep.

* * *

A small pink tongue darted out and licked Katie's face persistently until she opened her eyes. She had to close them quickly though as her overjoyed little Kokishin moved his licking to them. It had been waiting for nearly an our for some sign on movement. Katie let out a groan and rubbed her right hand over her face. _What a crazy dream. _She thought to herself. But when she tried to sit up her entire body felt strangely numb and heavy. Rado climbed onto her chest and began licking every part of her face he could reach. Katie let out a muffled laugh and tried to fight the creature away.

"Leave her alone you stupid beast." A deep voice said from her side. The weight of Rado's body was immediately removed. Katie looked up and saw him squirming in Zuko's arms.

"What happened?" Katie asked once she found her voice.

"Nothing you need to worry about right now. Just get more rest." Zuko said, placing a hand on her cheek. Katie ran her _dream _over in her mind and would have sat up straight if she had the strength to do so.

"The battle! What happened?" she demanded. Zuko bit his lip trying to think of what to tell her. _You turned in to some sort of goddess and brought every man back to life that had died _just didn't seem subtle enough.

"Just don't worry about it. Everyone made it out okay." He said as he leaned down to kiss her forehead. Tears began coursing down Katie's cheeks.

"Don't lie to me. I remember the blood. My god, I killed those men." She sobbed. _This isn't going well. _Zuko thought to himself.

"Katie, I promise you that the only one that died yesterday was Zhao. I can't explain it, but everyone is fine." Zuko said, wiping her tears away with his thumb.

"I saw them Zuko. I saw those dead men. I remember killing them. And I enjoyed it! What is wrong with me!" Her eyes were wide with fear. She felt a wave of nausea wash over her and it took everything to keep from tossing her cookies all over Zuko and Rado.

"Katie, last night…you…um." Zuko struggled to find the right thing to say. He just wasn't good at stuff like this. "You…resurrected them."

"I what?" Katie asked with a hiccup.

"You were struck by lightening. It did something to you and…you brought all of those men back to life." Katie stared into Zuko's face, silently begging him to stop saying this. Hoping that he would break out a grin and have it turn out to all be a cruel joke that she could beat him about later. But he was completely serious. She tried anyways.

"Zuko, stop messing around."

"I'm not messing anything. Katie, what happened to you?" he asked. He was looking down at her with something in his eyes which she had never seen before. It was fear.

"I think I'm gonna hurl." Katie said faintly. Zuko barely managed to grab a bedpan to put under her chin as she did just that. He held her hair out of her face as she emptied the few contents of her stomach into the china bowl. He cursed at himself internally for telling her right off. When Katie had finished she wiped a shaking hand over her mouth and leaned backwards with a groan. "What now?" She asked shakily.

"For right now, you need to sleep. We'll figure it out later." Zuko said placing a comforting hand on the side of her face. He leaned down and kissed her forehead, then put Rado down next to her side. Rado immediately burrowed up against her and fell asleep. Katie clutched him to her, trying to soak in the animal's warmth. She was so cold. Zuko sat beside her on the bed, continuously stroking her cheek until she fell asleep.

* * *

While writing this chapter yesterday I was eating a pumpkin pie that was rotten. It was nasty, but I'm a person that doesn't like to waste anything and I didn't realize at the time that it was rotten, so I forced myself to eat half of it before I had my mom try it. She tossed it and I was expecting to hurl or get food poisoning or something. But I'm perfectly fine which kinda makes me sad because that means I have to go to school. That's the curse of my family. We all have stomachs of iron. I could probably eat paintchips and my tummy would just say "yum"

Please review. You would be making a difference in my life. DON'T YOU _WANT _TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN MY LIFE? Huh? HUH?


	35. Can you say angst?

Wow, I wanted to spend all day yesterday typing, but I ended going on a family journey to a magical place called Hee Haws. It's really just a little amusement "farm" for city folk to go and see how the other half lives. But it was still pretty fun. There was a "hayride" but instead of hay bales to sit on, there was just some straw spread out on the bottom of the wagon. There were pig races and a cow you could pet, there was an adorable mini horse (I couldn't help it, I had to kiss it's nose) and the saddest looking chickens I have ever seen. And then there was Leroy. That is the biggest boar I have ever seen! It looked like a beached whale from the distance! I thought my dad was going to get us kicked out because he kept throwing rocks at Leroy to get him to move. I couldn't believe it. I wanted to smack the old man. And I attempted to wrestle the rocks away from him, but he's a sly one. Then I went on a trip down memory lane when my dad got a hold of a lasso. If it weren't for the stereotype, my dad would probably be a cowboy. One of his favorite passtimes is to tell us kids to run, then lasso us in mid flight. There was also a cornmaze. I ran through the whole thing and was sad because it's impossible to get desperately lost in that puny thing. Then it rained, so we had to go home. Anyways, that was my weekend.

About the new episode: It rocked! I saw so much Zutara-y foreshadowing that it makes me sick. A few to point out (sorry Khazia and O-dragon, you've already heard these), Did Zuko ever deny it when Jun said Katara was his girlfriend? I think NOT! And there were a whole bunch of other subtle things. But there's one part where they were riding the Shooshy-whatever into the abby for the second time where Zuko reached behind and grabbed onto Katara's clothes as though he was making sure she didn't fall off. Watch it again and watch his hand closely. I got the fuzzy giggles when I caught that.

**Evangline Angel: **You caught me. I was forcing a happy outcome. I want this story to end on a more lighthearted note, and if I really did kill a bunch of people I would be like, "GIVE ME ZOLOFT!" and I didn't want this story to drag on for the length of time it would take me to get over something like that.

**Petitio Principii: **Yay! And it would make an even bigger difference if you gave me 10 bucks! (wink)

**Titan09: **Hah! Cellophane! It makes me laugh. Ew, you're comforting Taz? He died two years ago! He was eaten by my neighbor's dog. Animals just don't have much luck out here. I like your dead Zhao song! And let me know if you become a deviant! i would lurv to see your work!

**Elf of Rohan: **Well, he don't have issues anymore. (evil, maniacal laugh)

**O-dragon: **Aw, you're the first person that has said I'm not evil! Thankies!

**Katara183: **This one's a bit shorter. And I really don't get sick of anything.

**Zukoscute2: **Kay, I will!

**Randomwriter88: **Aw, ya didn't have to destroy the kiosks! It was all Wallmart's fault!

**Plutobaby494: **Let's year a round of "Yay"s for Zhaos death! **1. 2. 3. YAY!**

**Serori: **Aw, I'm blushing!

**Lovergal1227: **Zula's stuff will be answered here.

**Khazia: **Wow, that seems to be a very popular song!

**darklight4ever: **don't you worry. You will know when the end has come. and no, there will not be a sequel.

**Sesshomaru's Woman: **Aw, he likes you! My advice (I actually have several solutions in my powerful brain muscle) creep him out by letting him know you've caught on to his crush. A guy trying that hard to get your attention is most deffinitely crushing. Or if you're absolutely certain that it isn't a crush and if it gets really bad, go to your school administration, a councilor or a teacher and let them know about what he's doing. HARRASSMENT IS ILLEGAL! Or you can just tell him that you've got a hit woman named Lin13 who's watchin' out for ya and if he doesn't knock it off, I'll come over there and beat the stuffing out of him, then eat the stuffing. Yum, stuffing. Or if he really is a cockroach, just pour some liquid soap on him. That oughta kill him good. Hope it helped.

alright, and for all of Seethingxshadow's reviews, I have this obsession with answering everything, so I'm typing yours at the bottom because it is so looong! In fact, it has a whole section off to itself.

Alrighty, this chapter is pretty angsty and I guess you could say it really delves a bit into psychosis. Sorry if it disturbs you. I feel every story needs some serious angst, and I really enjoy writing it. Every angst has it's place, and this'ns place is right here. Enjoy.

* * *

Zula sat alone in the dank prison hold of the ship. Zhao's crew had been locked up with her a few hours ago, but Zuko had given them a chance to cross over. A binding ritual on their honor was performed and they had been let free. Normally Zula wouldn't have believed that over one hundred men would switch sides so easily. They had all lost everything when Zuko came to power. They had made their names and fortunes from the war and had been promised so much in the conquest of the world. All of them were comrades to Zhao, well trained and power hungry. It had been very easy to scrounge them together. But in that short time when they had either been brought back from the spirit world or watched as a fallen friend was, their allegiance shifted. She herself had been astounded and struck dumb by what had happened. But once she came back to her senses she held herself firm. She would rather die the worst possible death imaginable than join her brother and his wussy (couldn't think of a better word) cause. There was a soft click from the doorway and the guard watching over Zula immediately stood at attention. Zuko walked in and gave the guard a curt nod of dismissal.

"Have you thought about my offer, Zula?" Zuka asked quietly. Zula stood up and moved as close to her brother as the bars would permit. She hocked a flaming loagy and spit it at him. Zuko shifted slightly and it flew by harmlessly.

"How's that for an answer?" she asked, lounging against the bars.

"Your etiquette lessons really show." Zuko said sardonically. His face softened and he pulled a stool close to her cell and sat down on it. "Zula, why were you with that pile of scum?" he asked sadly.

"Oh, so now you're being all big-brotherly?" Zula asked with a harsh laugh. "Trying to protect me from the bad boys?"

"I'm sensing some bitterness." Zuko said with a cocked eyebrow.

"And if I am bitter? You're twenty-two years to late to start caring Zuko, so don't even try." Zula shoved herself away from the bars and sank moodily onto her cot. "Now go away." She said, waving her hand as though to magically make him disappear.

"I'm sorry if I ever hurt you." Zuko said quietly after a few moments of silence.

"Just go away." Zula said.

"Not until you talk to me. What is it that I ever did to you? I want to try and make things right between us." Zuko pleaded. Zula didn't say anything, just averted her gaze to her pillow. "I said I'm not leaving until you talk to me." Zuko said firmly.

"Then you'll just have to sit there and rot." Zula lay down on her bed and rolled over so her back was to her brother. She wanted to just scream at him, let out all the pent up rage she had felt her entire life towards him. He had never cared for her. He had cared for so much when they were children. For his uncle, for their country, for their father, he'd even cared about a servant girl and a stupid rat. But he had never cared for her. She had needed someone to be there with her, but there was never anybody. Zula laid there and fumed over her lonely past. She didn't know if Zuko was still there, but part of her cared. She didn't notice when the door to her cell creaked open quietly and didn't realize she was no longer alone in the cell until she felt a pair of warm lips press themselves to her forehead.

"Good night Zula." Zuko whispered and left the cell. Zula lay there frozen. Then her shoulders began to shake and the suppressed tears began to flow. She stemmed them quickly when the guard returned. But she placed a fingertip to the place Zuko had kissed her. That was all she had ever really wanted.

* * *

Katie couldn't shake the feeling of being unclean. She had washed her face and arms the best she could, but it wasn't enough. She felt a grime all the way down in the depths of her pores. She found a harsh cloth and scrubbed at her skin until it was raw, but the dirt was still there. The dirt and the blood. She began bathing herself with fire, steadily heating her flesh, allowing the natural sterility to consume her. Still it was there. She allowed her skin to get hotter and hotter. The world began to swim around her, the heat was too much. But at the same time it wasn't enough and she stoked her internal flame a little more. The tips of her hair were beginning to singe when Zuko entered the room. He froze when he saw Katie. Her body was on fire. She was burning herself alive!

"KATIE! KATIE, SNAP OUT OF IT!" He cried. He was in front of her in an instant. He grabbed her shoulders and shook her roughly. Her eyes opened and the flames died abruptly. "What were you doing!" Zuko demanded, giving her shoulders another shake.

"Huh?" She asked dazedly. She really had no idea what she had been doing. Fear suddenly welled up inside Zuko as he stared into her face. She could hurt herself and not even realize it. He could lose her. His hands began to shake. He wrapped his arms around her shoulders and pulled her to his chest. He buried his face into her hair and she held him back. She still wasn't entirely sure as to what he was so upset about, but offered what comfort she could. After a few minutes, Zuko seemed to gather control over his emotions and pulled away from her. "Are you okay?" She asked.

"It doesn't matter. How are you?" He asked, fingering her cheek.

"I'm really thirsty." She said averting her gaze to the floor. She knew that wasn't what Zuko had meant, but she just didn't know how to deal with what had happened those few nights ago. She had been running it over and over in her head. She knew she no longer had the power the lightening had given her. She also knew that she would never receive that power again. But the fact still remained that she _had _held that power in the palm of her hand. She now understood the exact workings of energy. It was more knowledge than she could take. And then there were the crew. The few people she had seen since the occurrence quivered with fear while in her presence. She just couldn't take it. She didn't know how to convey it into words, but she knew that Zuko understood.

"I'll get you a drink of water then." Zuko said. He led her over to the bed and tucked her in. This was another thing Katie couldn't stand, Zuko fussing over her as though she were on her deathbed.

"Zuko, just go get the water." She said wryly and shoved the heavy blankets away. Katie sat up and pulled her knees to her chest as Zuko poured fresh water from a pitcher. It was warm, so he drew away some of its heat until it was almost ice cold.

"I spoke to Zula again." He said when he returned with the glass.

"Any progress?" Katie asked, taking the glass from him and taking a grateful sip.

"She hates me." Zuko said with a shrug. "She made a few comments, from my little knowledge of the woman language I think I've gathered that I just wasn't a good big brother. I wish I knew how to talk to her." Zuko buried his face into his hands and heaved a sigh.

"Just talk to her like you're talking to me. Tell her about yourself. She doesn't need to talk back, in fact she most likely won't. But maybe it will be enough to break the ice a little." Katie said, resting her cheek on his shoulder.

"Will you come with me?" Zuko asked pleadingly.

"No, this is something you and Zula need to sort out for yourselves. I've got enough on my plate thank you very much." Katie said. Zuko reached up and wrapped his hand around hers.

"Why does life have to be so complicated?"

"Eh, you know what they say, "La vie este l'enfer"." Katie said with a shrug.

"What?"

"Life is hell."

"Amen." Zuko said with a nod. "Are you hungry?" he asked.

"Yeah, a little."

"I'll go get something to eat." He said, kissing the palm of her hand in farewell. After he left the room Katie sighed and looked around for something to do until he got back. She climbed out of bed and went to sit in front of a sort of vanity. She glared at her reflection in the large mirror. Her long hair had suffered quite a bit from her constant lapses. Most of it was singed and looked like wire. There was really no point in trying to save it, her hair was dead. So she reached into a drawer and pulled out a pair of fine, silver scissors. She grabbed the first strand of hair and cut it down to only a few inches in length. She repeated the process over and over. It took Zuko twenty minutes to get back from the kitchen. When he walked into the room he nearly dropped the tray he was carrying in shock.

"What are you doing?" He asked. _She's lost her mind! _He thought to himself. Katie turned and shrugged.

"I'm cutting away my burned hair." She turned back and cut away the rest while Zuko watched her with a sort of fascinated horror. Katie trimmed a few places so that the cut was a little more even then turned to Zuko. "Well, what do you think?" Zuko's face softened as he looked at her.

"You look just like you did when I first met you." He said with a soft smile. Katie smiled back and turned to see her reflection. She ran her fingers through her hair causing it to spike up. It felt so much softer now, she felt like she could sit and rub her own head for hours. But her stomach gave a sharp command that she snarf whatever was filling the room with that savory aroma.

* * *

"FIRELORD ZUKO! PLEASE COME QUICKLY, THE PRISONER HAS GONE MAD!" A guard yelled, pounding on the door. Zuko sat up with a start and immediately jumped up, pulling on a pair of pants. He didn't bother trying to find a shirt or his boots, he just ran from the room, his bare feet slapping on the steel floor. He burst through the door to the holding cells and was nearly overwhelmed by the powerful flames that were shooting from the center of the room. The center where Zula's cell was positioned. Zuko shielded himself and squinted into the blinding light. He could see Zula's silhouette. She was lying on her back, writhing in agony. It wasn't difficult to understand what she was doing. She was unleashing all of her energy, she was trying to burn herself out until her body shut down. She was trying to kill herself.

"ZULA! PLEASE STOP THIS AND TALK TO ME!" Zuko yelled, trying to make himself heard over the roar of the flames. But there was no way that Zula could hear him, and he doubted that she would do as he said. So Zuko created a shell around himself and trudged forward. It took a great deal to get to where Zula was laying. Even if he was blocking himself from the heat of her fire, the force of it kept pushing him back. But he did finally make it to her. Flames were erupting from her eyes, nose and mouth. She was twitching on the ground as though experiencing a seizure. Zuko grabbed her shoulders, ignoring the blistering heat radiating from her and began to shake her. He hoped that she would lose her concentration as easily as Katie had. But she had started her fire while in deep meditation. She couldn't be snapped out of it. "ZULA! DON'T DO THIS!" Zuko yelled. Suddenly the fire around him stopped. Zuko nearly cried out with relief. But when he looked down at Zula's face the relief vanished. She was completely still. She wasn't breathing and when he checked for a pulse, there was none.

* * *

"Bring her back!"

"Zuko, I can't." Katie said sadly.

"Yes you can! I watched you bring back all those men, I know you can bring Zula back!" Zuko was close to yelling. Katie sat on the bed, watching him apprehensively. He was pacing around the room, his loose hair flying wildly around his face. She had never seen him like this. She half expected him to start hitting her.

"Zuko, that was a one-time deal. I don't have the power to do anything like that anymore. And I probably never will."

"Don't lie to me!"

"Zuko, I'm not lying to you! I'm not a god! I can't just snap my fingers and bring Zula back to life!" Katie said loudly, trying to make her voice penetrate his shell of stubbornness. She was shaking really badly and she was beginning to tear up as the news of Zula's death began to sink in. She had never had a friendly conversation with the girl, but with how hectic things had been just about anything could get her bawling. Zuko stopped pacing and glared at Katie. He just stood and stared at her until he was sure she was telling him the truth. Then the weight of everything settled on him. He felt suddenly as though his life were falling apart. For the first time, he broke down and cried in front of Katie. He knelt in front of her, buried his face in her lap and just began to cry.

* * *

**SeethingxShadows: **I'm just gonna answer questions and stuff from every chapter. Kay?

1-Yup, I ride horses. But not as often as I should. And the only part of Cali I've been to is L.A., but I never left the airport, so I guess that doesn't count. And 13 is my lucky number. My softball jersey numbers were always either 13 or 5. And Lin13 sounds much better than Lin5.

2-Yay! I've always wanted a twin. I'm not ashamed to talk about my religion. I'm from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints. or to put it simply, I'm a Mormon. (No, we don't have horns, we don't practice polygamy, we don't worship Joseph Smith, we don't dig up dead people and baptize them and YES, we have electricity). Hope that didn't scare you away. Aw, thanx for sticking up for me against Kissing off into the air!

3-I'm glad you think Zuko was in character. Sometimes I think this was the only chapter he is. And as for naming it Ted, I just have a stoopid sense of humor.

4-Ha ha! Tiny Manhood! You're my hero. As for painkillers, I'm kind of a subconcious health nut. I don't trust doctors, I believe the pharmeceutical companies rule the world, so I try to avoid whatever they put out so I don't suffer from liver failure later on in life. I LOVE THE PHANTOM! I've read the book about a million times! Someday, when I grow up I want to be a filmmaker and when I become that I will make a Phantom movie that follows Leroux's masterpeice to the letter! I love the musical, but I don't think it does the book justice.

5-Would you mind comin' to Utah and lettin' a few people know how offensive they smell? I'm just too nice to say anything, but I'm beggining to go blind from the horrible stench. I don't know how these people can't realize that they REEK!

6-Augh, Biology. I wish I was in an A.P. class just because we don't do anything in the regular class. The other day we watched "The Wonderful World of Dung" I can't begin to express how enthralling that movie was. I nearly dislocated my jaw from yawning. I do Yoga, but I'm not especially good at it. Actually, I'm about as flexible as a rock. But I think it's relaxing, so I pretend to know what I'm doing. I love basketball, but I've never played on an actual team.

7-If I remeber correctly, Similielike, or as. Metaphoris. Ha ha! Your comments make me laugh.

8-Ugh. Don't even get me started on Xena. Oh yay! We're still twins. You sicken _me _by impersonating a cheerleader. Please don't do it again!

9-I lurv "A knights Tale"! I swear on the toes of my aunt Kolleen, that someday, Heath Ledger will be my personal love slave! I've never seen "Les Meserables", but I've played music from the soundtrack in orchestra.

10-Yup, Dante was in it. I remember having a major crush on him as Rufio when I was little. Who knew it would last this long? You're going to China? That's awesome. My brother lived in Japan for 2 years, and I have a cousin living in Nagoya until January, but that's awesome.

11-Ew no! That's icky. I didn't finish reading the book, I just looked at the pictures. Sorry for the mix-up and thanx for the chinese lesson. That was awesome.

12-Well...supposedly I work for my dad's weird scientist friend, but he hasn't given me anything to do for weeks, he hasn't even contacted me. So I'm planning on hunting for a new job pretty soon. I hate leeching off my parents for gas money. By the way, I WANT YOUR TRUCK! And sorry if the "time spent in bed" gets annoying. I didn't realize when I was writing it how often I was putting us together like that. So sorry.

13-(waves back) Yay for peeing indeed!

14-Cool diary story. I'm from the year of the dragon as well! Oh yeah, we're hot.

15-Iroh is deffinitely a party person. Give him a lampshade and let him rip!

16-I'm a roller coaster addict. I just wish I could find someone to keep up with me.

17-Oh squee! I love ghost stories! And I'm not really a playah. None of my relationships thus far have been anything serious. When I was dating Shawn, it was actually more like hanging out with a guy friend.And I actually prefer relationships like that. All these couples making out around me are always so mopey because they're so obsessed over their relationships. GET A LIFE PEOPLE! YOU'RE ONLY IN HIGH SCHOOL!

18-Shamelessly ask away. Although, I'm sorry if it takes me a while to get around to reading your story. I promise I will though and I'll give you lots of long reviews since you were so nice as to do it for me.

19-Hollywood sucks. When I rule the world, it will crumble into the casym.

20-Yay! you're the first person to realize I was talking about Australia! I've always wanted to go there, so I just placed it as the honeymoon site.

21-The new episode ROCKED MY SOX! Thanx for all of your reviews! I feel all bubbly inside. This has to be the longest shoutout I have ever written. I hope you enjoyed it!

* * *

Alright, please remember to review. OR I'LL EAT YOU! 


	36. OW! MY HEAD!

Wow, yesterday was a really weird day. I woke up and was perfectly fine, so I decided to read and review for a story until I had to get ready for school. Then all of a sudden I caught the flu. Not only did I catch it, but I put it in a headlock and held it hostage! I was actually kinda glad, I was like, "Yay, I can just type my story and review stuff all day!" But it just layed me flat. I wrote a paragraph of this, then I got so dizzy that I went into my room to lay down. I barely laid down on my bed before I passed out. I was out for around two hours. It was awesome. Then I was just in a sort of haze for the rest of the day. This morning I was alright except for being a bit nauseous and I have a horrid headache. I went to my college class anyways because if I missed it again I would have died, but came home and typed this up while high school was rolling. I also made myself some yummy homemade mushroom soup.

**Elenea Galad: **I know, it just paints a touching picture doesn't it?

**Zukoscute2: **Yeah, death has a major impact. Sorry to hear about the one's you've lost.

**Khazia: **I think the reason I tossed my cookies is because of just the weight of the situation. Sorry abut any confusion. And if you insist, I won't eat you. (grumble, I'll just have to eat my soup instead)

**Titan09: **I'm sorry, should've mentioned that Taz was dead. My parents didn't even know that I got an account here until about three weeks after I started posting my stuff. And about Firebenders burning themselves, I figure there's a downside to all bending if the bender doesn't manage to keep control. For example, Earthbenders could accidentally crush themselves, Waterbenders could accidently drown themselves or freeze themselves or whatever, and Airbenders could accidentally suffocate themselves. I just think about stuff too much. I don't speak too much french. _La vie este l'enfer _is pretty much the only complete sentence I can say without really thinking about it. I took french for two years, but the teacher was taking on kids at a much higher level and expected me and a few others to catch up and start speaking on a third or fourth level. Plus the homework was murder and the class was pulling my GPA into the dirt, so I quit. I hope my morbidity didn't turn you off from the story!

**O-dragon: **Hah! Zuka. I'm not the best of proofreaders as you can obviously tell since you've read to this point. I get confused as well. I know I'm talking about myself, but I sometimes don't know whether to call the character _I _or _She _because the story is written in third-person. So I guess you can call me whatever you want...so long as it's PG-13. And Iroh really doesn't have much of a part left, he'll make an appearance in a later chapter, but until then you'll just have to wait. BWUAHAHAHAHA! I'm evil.

**Evangline Angel: **Aw, thanx for all of your kind praises. The rest of the story is just kinda the "winding down and coming to an end" stuff, I know how you like the action stuff, so I'm sorry if you don't like it.

**Sesshomaru's woman: **You show that Jorge Bandera! Your name is Lupe? That's awesome! I wish I had blue streaks in my hair, my friend, Chanta, once put purple streaks in her hair. She almost got kicked out of school for it but her mom put up a major fight about it. It was kinda funny because after a while her hair started looking like that peanut butter and jelling that comes in the same jar. Ew. I like fish, and stuff like oysters and shrimp, but it has to be cooked. Sushi is not on my list of likes. You're preppy story made me laugh. I wear pink all the time! Of course my pink shirts have things on them like the fat, dumb kid off of Simpsons doing aerobics with "Drop it like it's hot!" written on the front That threat rocked my sox! Myseminary teacher told us one that he had memorized in about fifteen different languages. It was something like, "May the fleas of a hundred thousand camels infest your backside!"

**Plutobaby494: **This chaper will begin answering your question. In fact it will totally answer your question.

Once again, SeethingXshadows, your shoutout is at the bottom! You're just special.

* * *

Three days were taken from their journey in respect to Zula. They stopped at a small island village where the cremation ceremony for her body took place. After the three days of mourning, they continued their journey and reached the city of Pen Qua within two days. Katie stepped out onto the deck and watched Zuko as he stood alone, staring off at the sea.

"We're only about ten miles away from the place we first met." Zuko said quietly when Katie came to stand next to him.

"We are? Wow, we've come a long ways haven't we?" She said thinking back to how she had first woken up in Zuko's arms.

"Yes, we have."

"Are you okay?" Katie asked, reaching a hand up and rubbing his shoulder gently. He sighed and nodded.

"What fate is going to meet Zula's soul?" Zuko asked. Katie had often talked to him about her beliefs, she hadn't quite convinced him to become a Christian, but he still found comfort in some of her words.

"Don't worry. She'll be alright." Katie said. Zuko nodded. She sounded sure, and so that was enough for him.

* * *

The delegates at Pen Qua met Zuko respectfully at the dock. News had already reached them of the circumstances of the journey and so his tardiness was pardoned. Katie was taken to the royal suite to await his return. Two maids came to the room to unpack Katie's things for her, but they were quite surprised when this queen began helping them and even struck up a friendly conversation. Katie loved Zuko, but sometimes she needed someone else to talk to. After an hour, the maids excused themselves to finish various other chores and Katie occupied herself by writing a letter to Iroh. She doubted whether or not she would actually send it. Mostly this was a way for her to unload whatever was on her mind. She would write a letter to someone she knew with every little detail of her life that was bothering her. She usually just threw the letters away later. So even though this one started out with the intention of her uncle reading it, she began writing things that she wouldn't actually tell him. Like how sick she was of being royalty and she knew that Zuko felt the same way. When the letter was finished she put it in the drawer of her vanity. Katie stood up and changed out of her stuffy dress into pants and a shirt. She wanted more than anything to go run a few laps around the grounds. It was a habit she had gotten into lately, but she doubted Zuko would approve. So she decided to walk instead. Rado trailed behind her. When she got outside he clambored up her clothes until he was perched on her shoulder. His beady little eyes surveyed the bushes around them for any sign of something to eat.

"My lady! It is so nice to see you once more!" Katie turned at the sound of the voice. It was Anomen. Katie had become pretty good friends with the young man since their meeting at the fire noble ball. She wanted to hug him, but it wasn't appropriate so she just held out a hand for him to kiss.

"It's good to see you as well!" she said.

"And what is this?" Anomen asked reaching up and scratching Rado's head.

"This is my new Kokishin. His name is Rado." Katie said, entwining her fingers in Rado's large tail.

"My brother had one once. They are incredible animals." Anomen said. "Would you mind if I accompany you my lady?"

"By all means, go ahead." Katie said and the two began walking. Anomen told her of his new position as chancellor. He seemed quite pleased with himself. He now had a wife and two children, but admitted to her in all confidentiality that he had waited to get married for Katara. But all hope for her failed when she married Aang. Katie told Anomen of the adventures of the past week. There was a respectful silence between them when she told him of Zula's death.

"She died by fire, so her soul is cleansed of evil." Anomen said quietly as though trying to ease Katie's mind. Katie merely nodded and they walked back into the main building. After they entered a servant bustled over them.

"Please excuse me sir and lady. Chancellor, your presence is required in the council chambers." The servant said with a bob.

"It was wonderful being able to talk to you once more my lady." Anomen said, turning to Katie. He took her hand and gave it another kiss before leaving.

"Yeah, ditto." He gave her a weird look but bowed anyway and left. After walking around in half a daze for another half an hour, Katie flagged down a servant to show her where the council chambers were. She was taken there and she sat on a small bench outside the oak doors, waiting for Zuko to come out. The guards stationed around the door didn't look too pleased to be in her presence. It meant they had to stand at constant attention. "How are ya?" Katie asked after a few minutes of heavy silence. One of the guards practically jumped at the sound of her voice.

"Um…all right. My lady." He said uncertainly.

"That's good." She said with a nod then turned to the other, "How 'bout you bud? Life treatin' you all right?"

"Fine my lady." There was another long silence.

"What are your guys names?"

"Lasrach." Said one who looked like a cross between earth and firenation.

"Sabaid." Said the other who looked full earth kingdom.

"I'm Katie." She said giving a little wave. They both gave her a little bow of the head and silence reigned. Just as she was about to open her mouth to try and spark conversation once more there was a short knock from the other side of the door. Lasrach and Sabaid acted immediately, they pulled the doors open and bowed as the high standing men left the room in groups of two or three. Zuko came out almost completely last. He was talking to an extremely old man dressed in purple. But he gave the man a hearty pound on the back when he saw Katie and separated to walk over to her.

"Let's walk." Zuko said once he reached her. Rado jumped from Katie's shoulders to Zuko's. As they walked out to the grounds Katie kept glancing sideways at Zuko. He seemed different all of a sudden. Maybe it was just because he was smiling slightly. His face was much softer then it had been since Zula's death.

"I'm guessing the meeting went well?" Katie asked. Zuko smiled and took her hand.

"Very well. In two years time all of the remaining damage left from the war will be rectified. The last transactions of gold have been made, and the alliances between the nations is even stronger than before the war." Zuko said proudly.

"That's wonderful."

"Yes, this trip has been very important. But I haven't yet accomplished all I wanted to. This has hardly been the romantic getaway I envisioned." Zuko said, reaching up and petting Rado's head.

"We still have three weeks." Katie said with a shrug. Zuko stopped walking beside her with a sigh. The happiness was suddenly gone from his face.

"We shouldn't just have three weeks to be together…"

"Zee, don't get started on that again. We are going to be fine." Katie said, wrapping an arm around his waist. "I promise." She said as an afterthought. Zuko sighed again and ran a hand through her short hair.

"I wonder what there is to do around here." He said.

"I dunno." Katie said with a shrug. She glanced over Zuko's shoulder for inspiration and spotted Anomen talking animatedly to an older man a hundred yards away. "But I know how we could find out." She grabbed Zuko's hand and led the way across the hall.

"My, two meetings in one day, my lady. You're spoiling me with your gracious presence."

"You're a sly little weasel, ain'tcha?" Katie said with a smile. Anomen merely laughed a genuine laugh. "I wanted to ask what there is to do around here." Katie said with a shrug.

"Well, there's a fantastic little waterfall in the canyon." Anomen said after thinking for a few seconds. "It's said that the water there springs from the very heart of the earth. That's just earth kingdom superstitions, but it's still a very lovely place to visit." Katie turned to Zuko excitedly.

"That sounds perfect." Zuko said, smiling down at her face.

* * *

Katie absolutely refused taking rhinos up to the waterfall. She wanted to rough it without any of the stress that came with having to care for the large beasts. And so, early in the morning after the council meeting, they packed a few things into a pair of makeshift backpacks and started trekking. They soon found that it was absolutely impossible to leave Rado behind. He scampered through the underbrush ahead of them, constantly turning back to make sure they were still following him. Occasionally he would fall back and climb up onto one of their shoulders until he saw something that caught his attention. It was nearing sunset when they finally reached the stream that ran off from the waterfall. They followed it and soon they found it. It was breathtaking. It wasn't particularly large, in fact it was quite wimpy as far as waterfalls go. But something about it seemed captivating and eternal. There was a pool at the base that was probably only four feet deep at it's deepest point. The entire waterfall and pool were almost completely surrounded by steep sandstone walls.

"You're it!" Katie yelled, slapping Zuko's arm. She dropped her pack and stripped off her disgusting, sweaty clothes as she ran towards the pool. Zuko laughed and followed suit. Together they dove into the ice cold water and splashed each other without a care in the world.

* * *

_Katie was in a very large white room. It was so large that no matter what direction she looked she could see no walls and she could see no ceiling. Katie turned slowly in a circle, trying to figure out where she was, but she really wasn't that concerned. Then she noticed a mirror. It just seemed to pop out of thin air. Katie walked over to the mirror and stared at her pale complexion. She lifted a hand to touch the scar on her cheek, but her reflection didn't lift it's hand._

"_Hey, you aren't doing your job!" Katie said to the independent reflection. The reflection just smiled at Katie and stepped a little to the side so that Katie could see what was behind her. It was piles and piles of gold and jewels. The fortune itself didn't really phase Katie, but the fact that she had seen this before did. This looked exactly like the inside of Zuko's private vault. "You aren't supposed to be in there!" Katie said angrily. The reflection just smiled and reached through her side of the mirror to grab Katie's hand. Then the reflection pulled Katie through. Katie ran over to the piles of treasure and glanced around to make sure none of it had been stolen then she turned angrily to the reflection. But the reflection had changed. Standing before Katie was a woman in a red dress. It was Zerita. "What's going on?" Katie asked suspiciously. But her attention was drawn to her original side of the mirror. All alone, sitting in the vast white space was a little white teddy bear. It had a red nose and crème colored paws. It was Katie's favorite toy from her childhood. She had carried him everywhere with her when she was young. Katie immediately ran to scoop up her teddy, but Zerita stopped her._

"_I want you to take this with you." A voice said in Katie's head even though Zerita's mouth did not move. Zerita took Katie's hand and placed a dark red jewel inside it._

"_Why?" Katie asked, clutching the jewel to her chest._

"_It's very dear to me and I know you'll take care of it." Zerita said, again without moving her lips._

"_Are you sure?" Katie asked and glanced down at the precious stone._

"_Of course. That's why I made sure you got it in the first place. Now you should go." Zerita said. Katie gave her a small hug and stepped through the mirror. She reached her teddy bear and hugged it tightly._

_

* * *

_

Katie woke up and stretched luxuriously. Zuko shifted a little next to her and she became very aware of a warm weight resting on her feet. Katie glanced under her blankets and saw Rado curled up around her ankles. She almost wanted to begin laughing. Life was so perfect at this moment. She looked up at the waterfall. They had camped at the edge of the pool and the sound of the rushing water was so comforting. It was barely light out, there was only a light haze in the east. Katie didn't want to disturb Zuko so early in the morning, so she untangled herself from him as carefully as she could and slipped into the water. Her skin chilled almost immediately and the air was knocked out of her chest. Katie let in a little gasp and leaned backwards to dip her scalp in the water. She scrubbed her hair until the dirt sticking from the ground washed away. She paddled over and just sat under the waterfall, allowing it to wash all the stresses and worries of life away. She didn't even notice that Zuko had also woken up until he drifted up to her.

"Do you feel that?" He asked, raising an arm from the water and waving it through the air.

"Hm?" Katie asked. She lifted her arm and did the same. It took her a while before she understood what he was talking about. The air felt different. She couldn't place how, but it felt different. "That's weird." Katie said with a shrug. They swam back to the shore and got dressed. Zuko wandered off to…water a tree…when he came back he held something in his hand.

"Look at what I found." Zuko said holding the object out to her. It glinted silver in the early morning glow. Katie took it from him and nearly had a heart attack as she stared at the object. It was a crumpled beer can.

"Where did you find this?" Katie asked. Zuko frowned and jabbed a thumb over his shoulder. Katie walked in the direction he had pointed and looked out of their sheltered campsite. There was forest all around them, but they weren't the trees Katie had seen the day before, the trees around her now were towering pines and gleaming white quakies. Along the stream that ran off from the waterfall was a worn dirt path. In the distance Katie could see a series of small, log bridges that crossed the stream. When she looked back, even the waterfall was different. Realization dawned on her, she knew this place. She knew it very well. It was the grotto. "Zuko." She said weakly. "We're in Utah."

"What?" He asked incredulously. But Katie didn'tanswer him. She turned and began running. She needed to know for sure. Zuko barely had the presence of mind to grab his pack before he started running after her. Rado sat up from his cozy nest in the folds of a blanket and also scampered after his mistress. Katie ran and ran. Her side felt as though it was going to burst but she couldn't stop. She was pumped full of adrenaline, plus the trail was downhill. The trail stretched on for two miles. It took herfifteen minutes before the trees started to thin. She turned a corner and quite suddenly the dirt trail turned to gravel. Right in front of her was a metal fence and on the other side was the black pavement of the canyon road. Katie's knees collapsed from beneath her. She was onlytwenty miles away from her house. Rado jumped up and landed on her shoulders. He sniffed the air curiously and within a few minutes Zuko caught up as well.

"What is this place?" Zuko asked quietly, looking apprehensively at the hard black road.

"This is my world. This is where I came from." Katie said. She picked up a piece of gravel, then tossed it aside. Zuko walked over to the metal fence and ran a hand over it. Then he walked out to the road and tested its hard, black surface.

"How did we get here?" He asked, but Katie didn't have the chance to answer. From above them there was a soft, low growl which grew steadily closer. Katie was back on her feet immediately. She ran out to the side of the road and began waving her arms in the air as the bright, glowing yellow eyes of some sort of hell creature turned a corner and began prowling towards them. Zuko ran forward and pulled Katie away from the road, he lit a flame in the palm of his hand, preparing himself to protect her from whatever demon this was.

"Put it away!" Katie said. She placed a hand over his, stifling the flame and walked once more to the side of the road. She resumed waving her hands and Zuko watched in fascination as the creature sidled up to where Katie was standing. Inside the thing was a very large man.

"Well hello miss Debbie. Is everything all right?" The man called out the window. Katie's eyes nearly popped out of her head.

"Murlin! Oh my gosh it is so good to see you!" Katie practically yelled. She reached into the window and grabbed his hand. He had hardly changed at all. She was surprised that he remembered her, but then again he had been kicked in the head by a horse several years before she had met him causinga few screws to loosen. Just the fact that he always called her by her mother's name was proof of this.

"You look like you're in some kind of trouble. Can I help you?" the old man asked. Katie nearly broke down and started crying right then and there. She forced herself to get under control.

"Could you give us a lift down the canyon? My brother lives just at the base." At least she hoped he did. Where was her family now?

"Of course I can. Go ahead an hop in back." He said, motioning to the bed of his pickup. The actual front of his truck was filled with sleeping bags and supplies.

"Thank you so much!" Katie said. She squeezed his hand then turned to Zuko. He was still standing a short ways off, watching the truck closely. "Zuko! Come on. Murlin's giving us a ride! Rado, here boy!" Katie placed her foot on the back tire and hoisted herself over the edge. Zuko walked carefully to the side of the truck and climbed inside. Rado crouched down and with a mighty leap flew into the back with them. Katie rapped her knuckles against the window to let Murlin know they were all in and the truck began puttering down the canyon road. Katie practically leaned out of the bed of the pickup as they picked up speed. The road was windy and there was a sheer drop on the right side. After a few minutes, Zuko couldn't take the anxiety of watching her anymore. He grabbed the back of her shirt and pulled her back into the middle next to him.

"Katie, what is this thing?" Zuko asked quietly. He closed his eyes and gripped her hand tightly.

"It's a truck. A sort of machine that you ride in." Katie said, still keeping a watch off to the side for the first sight of civilization. After a few minutes she turned to Zuko and saw how lost and afraid he looked. She pulled her hand free and wrapped it around his shoulders. "Don't worry. We're gonna figure this all out."

Ten minutes later they exited the canyon and turned towards the city. Katie poked her head into Murlin's window to give him directions to Tony's house. It took her a while to remember which one had been his, all the houses on the street looked alike. She finally recognized the gray, stone house and knocked on the window to signal Murlin to stop. Katie didn't even wait for the truck to stop rolling. She jumped out over the side and ran up the sidewalk. She leapt onto the porch and it took all her self control to not just rip the front door open. She pushed the doorbell and stood waiting with bated breath. It tookan eternalminute before the doorknob twisted and the door opened. Standing right in front of Katie was her brother. She let out a strangled sob and wrapped her arms around his neck before he had a chance to even look at her.

"Um…" he said, patting her back awkwardly.

"Tony, it's me!" Katie said, pulling back so he could see her face.

"Yes, I can see that." He said cautiously.

"TEE-DEE!" Katie looked over Tony's shoulder and saw his daughter, Brinn come running from a hallway, her blonde hair bouncing like crazy.

"BRINNY!" Katie knelt down and caught the two-year-old girl in her arms. She held her tightly and only after a few more seconds did she realize what was wrong with this picture. Brinn should be nine-years-old by now.

"Katie, are you alright?" Tony asked, watching her closely. She was wearing the strangest clothes he had ever seen and she was so pale. He glanced behind her at the man walking up his sidewalk with a scarred face and a strange animal perched on his shoulder. "And who are you?"

"Tony," Katie stood up, still holding her niece. She held out a hand to Zuko and he took it, keeping a wary eye on Tony. "This is my husband."

* * *

Hee hee. Quite a shocker for 'ole Ton' ain't it? What's gonna happen next? Just gonna have to wait and see. Another thing, I've become greedy for reviews! Let's see if we can get to 400!

* * *

**SeethingxShadows:**

22- I kinda figured you would know a little about mormons being from South California. But you go East and we're often confused with the Amish. Even the Amish think we're Amish. As for Iroh, he just has a sort of "Spidey Sense" for these things.

23- The Lost Skeleton of Cadavra isa spoof on B horror flicks from the fifties. They've got everything: a mutant, two aliens, a good scientist, a bad scientist, a woman made from four different forest animals, a ranger named Brad and a skeleton bent on world domination. A lot of people think it's really dumb, but I think it's hilarious. Wow! She is just like Edna! That's funny. I can't think of any girls that could make me go Lesbian. Not that I have anything against them, but I can't figure out what makes a girl turn Lesbian. I can understand why guys turn gay because guys are just so hot! Hm, that's just me. Yum! Cookie! Lady Godiva really was a Lady that lived a few hundred years ago. And she really is one of my ancestors. Apparently I havea lot of royalty in my bloodline from my dad's side of the family, we also have a viking that drowned to death in a vat of beer. Anyways, lady Godiva was protesting something her husband was doing so she did this by riding a horse stark nekkid through the village. Nobody was allowed to look at her, but one guy named Tom did, and that's where we got the term "Peeping Tom"

24- YES! You are the first one who mentioned the grinch line! I was wondering if everyone out there had experienced a really sad childhood or something! You rock.

25- Gah! Sorry! I'm just really not an anime fan!

26- Our drapes were old and nasty. Plus, as I mentioned, they gave me a small. So I'm in the bathroom trying to put this skody thing on but I couldn't reach behind my own back because it would just undo itself. I mean, the entire thing was held together with velcro! My picture actually didn't turn out half bad. They took three of me, but only sent me the stoner one in the mail. The pic on my I.D. card ain't half bad. It makes me wish I had bought them./

27- Hugh Jackman is always hot!

28- Hah! I had a brain picture of all the fans riding a bick down a hill, simultaneously rasing their hands and going "whoo!" then they all crashed into a heap. My mind is weird.

29- You teach kindergarteners? That's cool! I personally couldn't do it. I would go insane. I could probably do it if I was older, but I spend so much time around my neices and nephews that it's a relief to get away from children.

30- Chinese. There ain't much point in teaching them to read a language they'll never see or use...unless I was training them to be a secret army of super spies (shifty eyes). Alas, why does the new episode have to be so far away?

31- I think the show is going to delve into both the Kataang and Zutara relationships. Like a big 'ole love triangle thinger of doomyness!

* * *

Remember to review! Just think! You could be a part of the historical moment when I reach 400 reviews! You could tell your grandchildren about it!


	37. send in the clowns

Holy shnikeys! I am one sore little Lin! I went paintballing on saturday, but my muscles were still recovering from the flu, so I've been limping around. What sucked is that I only got shot three times! And only one of them hurt! I was mad. Someone needs to teach the scouts how to aim. Anyways, then yesterday I threw a football around with Tony, he was being a putz and he threw the ball as hard as he could. I think we impaled that football with my pinkie. Yup, so I'm typing with a sprained finger. That can't be good. Then I decided to take my horse, Kai, for a walk because she's really skittish. So I led her out on the rode for the first time and she was alright until we got to my cousin's house. She got really nervous around the goats. She was a turd the whole way back, she took me down twice and started rearing when we weren't walking fast enough. Anways. I've decided what to be for halloween! I want to by Marie Antoinette! I found this wicked mideival dress in an ad for Media Play. I want to get it and paint my neck all up so it looks like my head has been severed. Everybody else tells me I'm weird and that I should just be Tinkerbell. But i say, THEY WILL NEVER TURN ME TO THE DARK SIDE! MWUAHAHAHA!

cough

**Plutobaby494: **He won't take it very well, I can tell you that!

**Evangline Angel: **Are you Brittish? Sorry, inside joke. Well, I'm really glad you liked that...one line. I actually do know quite a bit about Bushido. Even though I'm as white as physically possible, a good portion of my family is from Japan plus my brother lived in Tokyo for two years. That stuff just kinda rubs off. And I don't think the firenation would be following Bushido since the entire series is based in an alternate ancient China (that isn't meant to by cynical I LOVE YOU). As for future stories, I have a few ideas revolving in my head but one of them can't come to pass until they reshow THE FIRST TWO FRIGGEN EPISODES! HELLO! NICKELODEON! WAKE UP! Plus I really need to get cracking on a story for my sci-fi class if I want to try and get it published by christmas. So...there will probably be a hiatus from me after this story is done.

**Elenea Galad: **You're just psychic! OH YAY! INUYASHA EPISODES! Actually, I'm not an anime fan. But I support you're excitement!

**Zukoscute2: **blink thanx

**O-dragon: **GOT YOUR LETTER TODAY! Hm, I'll explain the dream in a later chapter. Mostly it's just a whole conglomeration of symbolism. Thanx for your prayers, I'm feeling much better! YES! I'M STILL EVIL!

**Katara183: **Ew. That's icky. STAY AWAY FROM MY SOUP!

**Petitio Principii: **They went back to Utah because that's where the story ends you silly bean!

**RandomWriter88: **It was meant to catch you off guard.So tell me...WAS YOUR GUARD OFF CAUGHT?

**Titan09: **Ack! That's happened to me before. Haha, or he could get a marble stuck up his nose! "La vie este l'enfer" is french for "Life is hell". I'm glad you caught the grinch line, you're at least one out there who hasn't led a deprived childhood of misery and woe. Anomen is a guy we meet at the firenoble ball in chapter...something or another. It's the dancing monkeys one, I just can't remember the number. Then he showed up again at the other ball when they took Ozai down. I pawned Katara off on him so she wouldn't be conspicuous. I'll have to check out that new teen girl squad and as for kokishins, they aren't real. But if you want to know what one looks like, do a google search on red pandas! I based the creatures on one of those. And I wouldn't say the lack of time passage is convenient per se. This section has been really hard to write. Holy screaming Tonys batman! Sorry, I got a brain picture of my Tony squeeling like a fangirl when I read that.

**SeethingxShadows: **I hope you don't mind if I don't shoutout for all your reviews, my finger is sprained so I'm just trying to get through this fast. Smoking crayons? That's flippin' sweet! That's really cool that you teach kindergartners. I will probably get a church calling like that after I turn nineteen or so knowing my luck. Right now I'm Laurel president (ask the mormons if you don't know what I'm talking about). It ain't a very fun job, I have responsibility...and..stuff. bleck. YOU _ARE_ SPECIAL!...erm...dammit. Your dream prediction was half right! Here's a cookie. I'll explain it in detail later on.

**Sesshomaru's Woman: **Hick? Hah! It's funny 'cause it's true. Tell Hannah I love her! I've only played part of kingdom hearts. My brother has it, but it's at his house. I've been contemplating comandeering it lately. It was a really cool game. And I'm sorry that I'm not an anime fan. I've tried watching them, but there's just something about anime that bugs me. But who knows, maybe my softening to Avatar will lead to more. And that commercial is awesome! I wanna see it!

**Khazia: **hee hee. You're dad punched Zuko again. Sorry, I just can't get that image out of my head. Someone punches him in this chapter as well! I'm not copying you, it's just a very plausible reaction in males. Especially my males.

**Athenera: **Didn't you like it? (bottom lip begins to quiver)

All right. This chapter is a really emotional uppy downy one. Sorry if it gets annoying, I just don't like mopeyness so I'm sorry if the transitions between moods is choppy. Plus this was running long, so in real life there would be a LOT more conflict if I brought a guy like Zukohome to a house full of overly protective adult brothers and a dad with access to a chainsaw, but I wanted to cut it a bit short for times sake.

* * *

"Hey, mom? Is Katie's car still out front?" Tony asked over his cell phone. He peeked around the corner and watched Katie and her "husband" as they sat on his couch. Brandi was sitting right across from them holding Irelind, and Brinn was playing with the weird little animal on the floor. None of them were saying anything. 

"I don't think so, she's supposed to be at school. Let me check." There was a moment's pause, "Yeah, her car is here. Is everything okay?" Debbie sounded a bit nervous. She walked down the hall and knocked gently on Katie's door. She was expecting to immediately hear the sound of Katie sitting up and saying "Huh!" but there was nothing. Debbie tested the door knob but Katie had a habit of locking her door every night.

"Mom. Katie's here at my house right now. She seems really confused. There's a guy with her that she says is her husband." Tony said after a brief pause.

"What!"

"She just showed up on my doorstep a few minutes ago. What should I do?"

* * *

Katie ran a hand over the upholstery of the couch and then turned her gaze to her sister-in-law. Brandi was watching Brinn who was rolling around on the floor with a weird little creature. Brandi wasn't too comfortable with it, but she didn't know what to say. Everything was so confusing. 

"Rado, come here boy." Katie said softly. Brandi jumped at the sound of Katie's voice. The Kokishin immediately responded to his mistress' voice and leapt onto her lap. Katie glanced up at Zuko. He was looking around the room in amazement. She could see that he was absolutely itching to ask about all of the electrical appliances. And speaking of electrical appliances, Katie was beginning to feel an unpleasant buzz from the energy that was coursing through the house like veins. It was a constant hum. It wasn't unbearable, but it was a bit annoying. After what seemed like an eternity, Tony came out of the kitchen and nodded at Katie.

"Let's load up in the bronco. We're meeting mom at the house." Tony said. Katie felt her heart leap into her throat. What was she supposed to tell her mom? She still had no idea what Tony thought of all this because he had retreated into the kitchen almost immediately. Whatever happened, she would just have to face it head on. So Katie grabbed Zuko's hand and pulled him after her out to the garage. Zuko froze when they reached Tony's bronco. He was somewhat all right with riding in the back of the pickup because he had still been in the open air. He could bail out if the need arose. But he didn't think he could stand riding in the belly of one of these creatures.

"Katie, I don't…"

"Just get in Zuko. It's fine." Katie said climbing into the back seat and scooting over so he could follow suit. Tony frowned at Zuko's hesitation and climbed into the driver's seat. Zuko finally took a deep breath and climbed into the truck. Katie showed him the workings of the seatbelt but this really didn't make him feel all that much better since it constrained him all the more.

"What's going on Katie?" Tony asked after they had pulled out of the driveway.

"I have no idea. I've been trying to figure it out for the last seven years." Katie said, trying to keep her voice from shaking.

"What do you mean seven years? Have you been sneaking around with this guy?" Tony asked angrily. Immediately after he said it he knew it was wrong. Katie was too smart to do something like that.

"Tony, I've been gone for seven years."

"Are you listening to yourself? I just saw you two days ago. Do you remember the hot dog roast? That was two days ago, you were there!" Tony was almost yelling. Katie blinked back tears and looked out the window. By now they had just reached Little Caesar's. Katie looked out over the valley and there was her house. Out by the mountain with it's orange barn gleaming in the sunlight.

"I can't explain it." She said quietly and the rest of the journey was spent in heavy silence.

* * *

Katie wrenched the car door open and ran up the front porch to the door. She had been dreaming of seeing this place for so long. She had missed her house so much, with it's out of control grapevine, peeling paint and enormous trees in it's enormous yard. Katie yanked the front door open and there, just walking out of the kitchen was her mom. Katie let out a sob and rushed to her mom, wrapping her in a tight hug. Debbie hugged her back, this girl was her daughter, but her entire presence was different. She was older and even smelled different. Debbie pulled away and cupped Katie's face in her hands. The face was pale, almost deathly pale. There was scar across one cheek, and it was an old scar. For a second she seriously doubted that this girl was Katie. But those large, dark eyes were the eyes of her daughter and when she pulled back her bangs she saw the chicken pock scar above Katie's left eye that she'd had since she was a baby. 

"What happened?" Debbie asked hoarsely.

"It's a really long story." Katie said through her tears. She buried her face into her mom's shoulder and cried. Debbie held her tightly and looked up as Tony walked through the front door. Zuko followed him uneasily; Rado perched once more on his shoulder.

"And who is he?" Debbie asked. She decided right away that she didn't trust this boy. He had done something to her baby! Katie sniffed and pulled away.

"He's most of the long story." Just then a man with a scruffy beard came down the stairs, whistling softly to himself with a pair of shoes in his hand. He stopped at the bottom when he noticed everyone standing around. "DAD!" Katie yelled and ran to him, wrapping him in a tight hug as well.

"I missed something, didn't I?" Dennis asked. They all took a seat in the living room and, with a very deep breath, Katie began telling them all that had happened to her up until she married Zuko (although she remained rather vague on the details). Debbie lifted a hand and placed it against Katie's forehead.

"Katie, you have a fever! You're obviously sick, let's just put you to bed and we can try talking again when…"

"Mom, I don't have a fever!" Katie racked her brain for a way to tell her mom about her firebending. "But there is something else…"

"Please don't tell me you're pregnant." Debbie said weakly. Katie let out a choked laugh at this.

"No, I'm not pregnant." Katie paused for another second and then glanced over at Zuko for confidence. He slid his left hand into her right and Katie took a deep breath. She raised her left hand so her palm was facing up and created a small ball of flame. Debbie drew away with a gasp. "I can do a lot more than that." Katie said quietly, extinguishing the flame. She glanced over to the lamp above her dad's chair. It was turned off, but Katie could feel the electric currents in the outlet. She reached out to them and bended them around so that they filled the lamp, turning it on in a sense. Dennis sat up a little straighter, Zuko also seemed to tense. He didn't understand the workings of a light bulb. Everybody sat around in a sort of stunned silence for a few seconds, then Katie's sister, Kim, chose that moment to enter the room.

"What can you do?" Kim asked airily. She had a knack for interrupting, she also seemed to feel that she needed to know _everything _that was going on around her. It was one of the many things that had driven Katie up the wall when she had lived here, but right now Katie was actually glad to see her. Kim's son, Alex came walking dozily around the corner. He walked straight up to Zuko and looked him in the face.

"I GOTTA TRAILOR!" Alex said proudly, holding up a toy diesel. Zuko seemed at a loss for what to do. Alex was holding the toy out to him, so he reached out and took it. Alex let him hold it for two seconds, then took it back.

"Aw, crap. I'm gonna be late for work." Kim said, looking down at her watch. "Come on Alex." She took his hand and left the house without another word. Everyone sat in silence after Kim left.

"So…what is your name?" Debbie asked, trying to fill the void.

"Zuko. Zuko Taki-bi Shujin." Zuko said quietly. Katie frowned a little at this. She didn't know he had a last name!

"Katie, this is crazy. I just saw you last night before you went to bed. You weren't gone for seven years!" Debbie said, shaking her head sadly.

"Then how do you explain this?" Katie asked motioning to the scar on her cheek. "Or these?" She lifted the sleeve of her shirt. The sleeve was loose and she hadn't had the time to bind it so she was able to pull it up to her shoulder. Not only was the scar from Marius visible, but all the gashes on her arm from the battle with Zhao's men were as well. Everyone immediately sent a glare over at Zuko, Tony and Dennis looked as though they were about to strangle the man. "Zuko didn't give me these," Katie said in his defense, "take me to a doctor, he can do scans to determine my age. Take me to a gynecologist even! He can tell you that I've carried a healthy baby full term! Stuff like that doesn't happen over night!" Fresh tears began spilling down her cheeks. Zuko stroked her hand with his thumb. He felt like he wasn't doing much good.

"A baby?" Debbie asked hoarsely. Katie just nodded, she didn't think she could say much more without breaking down and bawling.

"She died four years ago." Zuko said quietly. There was another silence.

"I'm going to need some time to think about this." Debbie said. Katie nodded and stood up. Zuko did the same and followed her to the back door. Once they were outside on the basketball court, Katie wrapped her arms around Zuko's waist and collapsed against his chest.

"I'm sorry I haven't been much help." Zuko said quietly.

"Yes you have." Katie said, but her words were somewhat muffled by his shirt. They stood holding each other for a few more seconds before Katie looked up at him with a frown. "You never told me you have a last name."

"You didn't know?" He asked with a frown. "You were named Katie Lin Taki-bi Shujin during both our wedding ceremonies."

"The ceremonies were in a different language." She said. "Oh well. Come on, I'll show you around."

* * *

"I don't like this." Debbie said, watching the two out the kitchen window. 

"I don't believe any of it, we should call the police or something, that guy could be a convict for all we know." Tony said.

"But how can we explain those scars? What if what she's saying is true?" Debbie asked.

"Scars aren't hard to make with stage makeup mom. That guy is probably hypnotizing her or something. We shouldn't let him be alone with her." Tony said. Debbie let out a weary sigh and turned to watch Katie and Zuko. They had just been hugging on the basketball court, but now they were walking over to the shop buildings with their arms around each other's waists.

* * *

"Over there is the cellar." Katie said pointing to a small building that sat under a choke cherry tree. They walked down the gravel drive to a large building that split at the middle into three rooms. "The one on the left is my dad's wood shop. He does carpentry in his free time. The door in the middle is our meat room. It's where we butcher animals. The door on the right is our metal shop. It's where all our mechanical stuff is, but right now it's full of Calvin's stuff. He's the mad scientist I work for." They turned and continued walking down the gravel, Katie pointed out a bunch of things like an old school bus they had converted into a camper. Then Zuko noticed the corral next to a giant orange building. Three creatures he recognized as her horses were lounging in the shade. "Hey ladies!" Katie said happily. A dark red horse came running up to the fence and stuck its head over. Katie grabbed the horse's chin and kissed its nose (it's an old habit). The horse pushed its muzzle against Katie's hair and began wiggling its upper lip as though kissing her back. 

"Wow, she's pretty." Zuko said, holding out a fist for Kai to smell (indeed, this horse is Kai). Kai's ears went back a bit. She loved people, but she always got jealous when Katie brought someone out with her.

"Come on." Katie said. She grabbed a brush and bridle and slipped through the gap in the gate. The other two horses had come over, a light tan one with black legs pressed her forehead against Katie's back when she started brushing Kai. Katie turned and began brushing Mama (indeed, this horse is Mama) while the white horse stood offishly to one side. After a moment, Katie slipped the bit into Mama's mouth and pulled the leather straps up around her ears. Katie led the large horse out of the corral and climbed on her back with the help of the fence. "Wanna hop on?" She asked Zuko, holding a hand out to him.

"Without a saddle?" he asked, slightly unsure.

"Duh. Besides, she's fat enough that she's real comfy to ride bare-back." Katie said, giving him a little smile. Zuko gave the beast a scrutinizing look. It was a very large animal, but not as large as any of the others he was used to riding. He doubted somewhat whether it would be able to carry them both. Plus he knew how passionate Katie was about riding. He got the feeling that maybe she could use some time by herself to think things over.

"You go ahead, I'll wait over here." He said. He reached up and gave her hand a gentle squeeze. Katie smiled and prodded Mama into walking. She walked her around for a few minutes to get the horse warmed up, then nudged her ribs to coax her into a mild trot. Katie felt the immediate exhilaration of riding and began kicking Mama harder and whipped her shoulders with the reigns until she was flat out running.

Zuko leaned against the fence and watched Katie ride. She had just started running Mama when he heard the sound of gravel crunching behind him. A white vehicle pulled in and parked next to one of the shops, a man climbed out that Zuko recognized as Katie's second brother, Blair. Blair gave a little wave to Zuko and walked into the house. A few minutes later there was the sound of more crunching gravel and a red and white pickup pulled in. Zuko began feeling a little wary as a man hoisted himself out that he recognized as Katie's oldest brother, Dusty. Dusty began walking into the metal shop to borrow a tool or something when Tony, Blair and Dennis came out of the house. Dusty stopped and waited for them to walk over, but they just waved for him to follow them. Zuko knew right away that they meant to speak with him, call it a man sense. So he began walking towards them trying to look nonchalant.

"Just what shit are you trying to pull here?" Blair asked angrily.

"I'm not trying to pull anything." Zuko said, looking Blair right in the eye.

"Look pal, you're lucky we haven't called the cops. You're even luckier that we haven't shot your ass to hell! You have three minutes to get your ass out of here before we do just that!" Blair said. He was now only a foot away from Zuko.

"I'm not going anywhere." Zuko said boldly. Blair drew back and whalloped Zuko right in the eye.

"Do you want to try that again?" Blair asked, drawing his arm back again.

"What the hell is going on here!" Katie demanded trotting up on Mama. Mama's chest was heaving and she was plastered with sweat.

"Stand back Katie." Tony said angrily. All four men were standing around Zuko like a bunch of ravenous hyenas. Katie jumped off Mama's back and shoved the reigns in Dusty's hands. He was looking extremely confused but could tell whatever was going on wasn't good. Zuko had been knocked backwards from Blair's blow, but had remained on his feet. He crouched down, preparing to defend himself from more onslaught which Blair looked as though he was ready to give. Katie stepped forward and placed herself between them.

"Knock it off!" She said angrily. Blair grabbed her arm and began pulling her out of the way, but she wrenched her arm out of his grip. "I SAID KNOCK IT OFF!" Katie screamed. Flames erupted from her shoulders and scalp.

"Holy shi-" Blair took an involuntary step backwards with everyone else. Mama began roaring and fidgeting. Katie shot a glare around at all these men that she loved. It was too much. She let out a little sob and ran towards the house.

Katie just wanted to run into her room and slam the door behind her. Unfortunately, the door was still locked. She grabbed a couple of pins from her doorframe and picked the lock. Her mom had followed her and was asking anxiously what had happened. Katie couldn't talk, she wouldn't have if she could. She just unlocked the door, stomped inside and slammed it behind her. Dennis, Blair, Tony and Dusty had made it into the house by this time with Zuko trailing behind them cautiously. Debbie shot them a worried glance, then carefully opened the door. Katie was lying face first on her bed, sobbing into the pillow. It nearly broke her heart, she hadn't seen her daughter cry since she was nine.

"Katie?" Debbie asked quietly.

"What?" Katie asked between hiccups.

"Is there anything I can do?"

"No, I need to talk to Zuko." Katie said, she lifted her head from the pillow and wiped a few tears away. Debbie hesitated, but after a while she nodded and left the room.

"She wants to talk to you." She said to Zuko. Her voice sounded a little bit hurt. Zuko nodded and began stepping forward.

"If that door closes behind you, we'll kill you." Dennis said, grabbing Zuko's shoulder as he passed. Zuko looked him in the eye and nodded. Dennis finally let go of Zuko's shoulder and the young man stepped into Katie's bedroom. He made sure to leave the door open a crack, then went to sit down on Katie's bed. She sat up and wrapped her arms around his neck and began crying again. He held her close and began scanning her room. Most of the surfaces were cluttered with knick-knacks and whatnot. One wall had a mural painted on it depicting a castle sitting on a cliff overlooking a storm tossed sea. The sun was setting and a cloud with a single bolt of lightening was drifting from the right. It wasn't great, but it was simple and distinguishable. The wall behind them that the bed sat against was covered with a large tapestry stamped with primitive horses and winding knots (it's celtic). There was a bookcase, a set of drawers, a locker, an antique chest and an old barber chair in front of the other two walls.

"What are we going to do?" Katie asked between sobs. She forced them back down and pulled her face away from Zuko's shoulder. She wiped her eyes and looked him in the face. "I was so excited when we first got here, but everything is wrong! What are we supposed to do? It's not like I can just pick my old life up and start going back to school and…OH SHIT!" Katie jumped up and began ran over to her dresser. She pulled out a pair of jeans then grabbed the first t-shirt she found in her closet. She pushed the door shut and locked it, indignant yells came from the other side and someone tested the doorknob. When they realized it was locked several fists began banging on the door. "KNOCK IT OFF! I'M FINE!" Katie yelled, pounding on the door as well. She quickly changed into her modern clothes then began searching for something for Zuko to wear.

"What is wrong?" Zuko asked anxiously.

"School! It's almost ten o'clock!" Katie said searching through her jeans. She finally found her baggiest pair, they were a worn pair of work jeans. She tossed these to Zuko, then as an after thought grabbed a pair of boxers from her sock drawer which she tossed to him as well. "Put those on."

"You're afraid to miss school in a situation like this?" Zuko asked incredulously. He pulled off his boots and began changing into the jeans while Katie scrounged for a somewhat manly shirt.

"No, but I was driver for my carpool. Kim and Danielle will be trapped in Orem if I'm not there in half an hour." Katie said pulling out a black t-shirt. Zuko had already put on the jeans and that sight cheered Katie right up. In fact, she almost laughed out loud.

"You don't seriously go outside in these?" Zuko asked.

"Don't worry, tight pants on a guy are in style." Katie said, shoving the t-shirt over his ears. "Hurry up." She pulled on her sneakers by the time Zuko was completely dressed. She grabbed his boots and his hand and dashed out of the room, dragging Zuko behind her. The men looked like they would like nothing better than to murder Zuko. Katie just trudged past them without a word. She grabbed her keys from the mirror and led Zuko to her maroon Crown Victoria. He really didn't want to get into the car, but it didn't look like he had much choice. They buckled up and Katie started the car. "You might want to start puckering your butt, I won't be slowing down for turns." Katie said as she put the car in reverse.

* * *

As you could tell, Blair is the more outspoken of my brothers. But they're all really big. Hahaha! Sorry, just the mental picture of Zuko in a pair of tight jeans and a black t-shirt has me all giggly. Yay! We're at 400 reviews! All those of you that read this and don't review, now's your chance to get into the loop before this story is over! Won't be much longer now! I would love to hear from you and know what ya'll think! I know you would just love to experience a genuine KatieLin shoutout!Plus I'm greedy for reviews. WE MADE IT TO 400! LET'S SEE IF WE CAN MAKE IT TO 500! COME ON PEOPLE! IF WE BAN TOGETHER, WE CAN DO ANYTHING! You could also give me ten bucks while you're at it. 


	38. Weeoo Weeoo!

Hmm. I really don't have much of an opinion about that new episode. I guess it was alright, maybe I'm just too obsessed with Zuko and was upset that he didn't get any screen time. I did love the part when Aang was waggling his butt at Zhao! I thought Katara's special power was going to be something cooler though. there was a rumor somewhere that she was going to be able to control people's bodies since people are 75 percent water. But instead she can just heal. No offense to Katara fans, but she just seems like such a wussy character (I'll probably get burned for that, but I HAVE AN OPINION YA KNOW)! Anyways, I've heard somewhere that the next episode is supposed to be competely about Zuko, pre-agni kai and I think we get to get a formal introduction to Zula. At least I'm hoping that's what the next episode will be, my source has been known to be faulty. MOVING ON! I got my halloween costume! We just found this nasty, frilly dress that we're going to modify. It's awesome. I also got this ratty, black wig. I can't wait for halloween! Now, on to the shoutouts!

**Randomwriter88: **Easy cowboy! er...girl...WHAT THE HECK ARE YOU ANYWAYS?

**Katara183: **Oh yeah, my brothers would act like this or worse. I don't think I'll make a sequel because this by itself has been an exhausting thing to write. Don't worry, it will all work out in the end and this is happening in Utah. Sorry I can't be more specific, but I just don't trust everyone reading this (looks around shiftily).

**SeethingxShadows: **Yes, you were number 400 (throws confetti) now let's see if you're number 500! Rally the readers! Get them to review! Getting hit 3 times paintballing is horrible! Especially if they're in a place you can't show off to the public! There's really no other point in going. That's awesome thatyou're going to be Tinkerbell for halloween! I'm not petite, but as I've mentioned before I look like the tinkerbell in _Hook. _I was also thinking about being Cruella Deville, just because I would like to paint my hair. Instead that's what my mom is going to be. Yes, horse's noses are so soft! Even when she's got a horribly gross, mud encrusted face I can't stop myself from kissing Kai, she's just so dern cute! And my class starts at 7:30, it ends at 10:30.

**Lovergal1227: **Well, I hope the chapter didn't annoy ya.

**Elenea Galad: **Yup, my brothers or sooper protective of me. As for Zuko not getting upset, I like to think my version of Zuko is more even tempered and calm. Plus I tend to slap people around when they're grumpy so being married to me would have cured him of the habit. And I'll explain what happens to his people in a later chapter. Don't worry, it's all under control.

**Zukoscute2: **Aw, another one that doesn't trust me (snaps fingers)! That's okay thought, internet caution is a very good thing!

**Khazia: **They don't exactly have a "guy" issue, they're just paranoid.

**O-dragon: **I guess I don't mind having three brothers, I don't really know any differently. And most of my family already watches the show (or at least they've been forced to endure an episode or two with me) but something like this would take a while to get used to. Why do you have to balance a book on your head? I'm proud to say I can do it without a problem! Of course that's just because I have a flat head and I guess that ain't too much to brag about. I hope your back is all right!

**Titan09: **Forevery nerdy question, there's a nerdy answer! Yes, I'm a nerd. And I'll make this story be logical whether it likes it or not! So, here's a little science lesson on my theory of bending. Alright, say everyone has this little old gland in their brain that produces a hormone that causes bending. But in most people, especially from our world, it just remains dormant and we don't really even know it's there. When I swapped blood with Zuko, his blood had the bending hormone in it. His blood traveled in my system up to feed my brain which was all like "Yum!" Then the bending hormone traveled around to be utilized for my brain's goodness and it touched my own dormant bending gland. The hormones in his blood kinda acted as a primer and my own bending gland started pumping its own batch of the bending hormone. Voila! Meesa a firebender! Told ya I'm a nerd!

Irelind is one of my nieces, check my profile page because I've put up a little description of all my family members. Yay! You got the translation right! Except I didn't know Taki-bi meant _bonfire. _My brother's dictionary is pretty vague. Yay! Corpsebride was one of my other costume propositions! That's awesome!

**1bzwriter: **YAY! I'm always so glad to see new fans! Especially ones as nice as you! Augh, don't get my started on the 1st two episodes! I want to just storm Nickelodeon by force! WHO'S WITH ME?

**Serori: **Zuko in tight jeans indeed! (begins to salivate)

**Plutobaby494: **We shall see young grasshopper, we shall see.

**hpartygirl: **Yay! Another new fan! Not much really happens at scool in this chapter though, sorry if you're dissapointed. Thanx for yourreview!

**Heather: **Yup, I'm mormon. And I'm glad to see there's another mormon out there reading this! Thanx for your reviews!

**Evangline Angel: **It's all good. Yup, Tony lived in Tokyo. He loved it there and he wants to go back someday. The guy who plays Napoleon Dynamite was actually living there the same time as my brother! he's on a christmas video Tony has, it's awesome. Also, my cousin, Robert, is living in Nagoya right now. He's coming back in January, I should probably get off my butt and write him a letter.

**Mdalia: **Hey! I remember you! Thanx for checking out this story! And thanx for you review!

**Seriously yours **& **Lord of Terror: **Thank you so much for checking out my story! And I just want to tell you again thatI absolutely love your stuff! I think "Why you shouldn't sniff Iroh's stuff" is the greatest story title ever conceived.

Oookay. Before we get started, I've updated my profile page and it now contains the names and a brief description of the members of my family. This is so nobody gets confuse and also so I don't have to stop and describe each person. Another thing, in case it confuses people, there are two Kims in this part, one is a friend from school whom I carpool with, the other is my sister. Don't worry, I think you can tell when I'm talking about either of them.

* * *

Katie sighed and leaned back against the seat as Metallica played on the radio. She sang softly to _sandman _and glanced over at Zuko. He was staring out the window, completely in awe at the thousands of vehicles passing them on the freeway. Katie reached down and turned the radio off. 

"We really need to try and figure this out." She said.

"I don't see what you're so worried about. This is a new world, yes, but I can work." Zuko said.

"It's not that simple Zee. You don't even have an identity in this world! You need personal info like a social security number for just about everything here. Plus you can't get more than a fast food job without an education."

"I _have _an education." Zuko said indignantly. This was true. He had the sharpest mind Katie had ever seen, and this was being compared to Dusty's! Zuko could totally smear her with math skills (even though that ain't much to brag about) and even though he came from a primitive society was quiet adept with science. He also had a passion for learning and grew frustrated with limitations.

"I know that, but what I mean is you don't have a diploma saying you have that education." Katie said.

"And do you have this…diploma?" Zuko asked.

"No, I'm still in high school…_was _still in high school. Augh! This is such a mess!" Katie switched into the fast lane and sped around a diesel. There was silence for a while longer, then Zuko reached over and rested a hand on her leg.

"Everything is going to work out." He said softly. Then he looked down at her leg and frowned. "I can see every inch of you!"

"What?"

"I've seen how your brothers protect you, but how do they let you step outside so exposed?" Zuko cried.

"I'm not exposed! I'm completely covered!"

"Covered my ass! I can see every curve of your body!"

"Um, so?"

"Other men can see you too! Are you trying to advertise yourself?" Zuko asked angrily. Katie looked down at her clothes. She was wearing flared jeans and a _superman_ t-shirt. It was true that the jeans hugged her closely, and her shirt barely had sleeves, but she didn't see what the fuss was about.

"Zuko, relax. Look out the window at the girls we pass. They're wearing the exact same thing I am." Katie said. Zuko glared and looked out the window. Sure enough, the person in the second car they passed was a girl in her late teens, and she was wearing even less than Katie.

"That doesn't make it appropriate." Zuko said with a frown.

"Well, I'm not going to be going around in those marshmallow pants. This is the way of the world bucko." Katie said. Zuko slumped in his seat and frowned. Katie smiled. "Man, things must be really screwed up."

"What do you mean?" Zuko grunted.

"A second ago, you were assuring me everything would be okay. Usually it's _me_ trying to calm _you _down." They sat in silence for a second. "And thanks for cheering me up." Zuko sent her a glare, about to continue pressing the seriousness of his argument. But now wasn't the time. So instead he reached over and squeezed her knee.

They got to the college with a few minutes to spare before the classes let out. Katie and Zuko sat down on a couple of chairs and waited. She could see her friend, Kim, sitting at a table with Keith and Kyle while their teacher gave them a few last comments. Then they all gathered their bags and filed out of the room.

"NITRO BASHER!" Keith yelled to Katie once he got into the hallway.

"Hey Keith." Katie said, standing up to accept a hug from the friendly guy.

"Ooh, has Nitro Basher got a boyfriend?" Keith asked playfully.

"Um, yeah. This is…Zee." Katie said, stepping away and motioning Zuko to come and join them. They stood in a circle waiting for Danielle to get out of her class. Kim, Keith, and Kyle began updating Katie on the latest dramas in their class. A few people Katie remembered from her own class began leaving a room a ways down the hall.

"So you're too good to come to class now?" Jesse asked playfully, his guitar strapped to his back.

"Erm, family emergency. What'd I miss?"

"Absolutely nothing. See you on Monday." Katie waved to him and Danielle finally joined them. They walked back out to the parking lot listening to the three K's as they joked around.

"I love your guts Keith!" Kim yelled before she got into Katie's car. Katie felt a little stab at how normal this all seemed and yet things could never be the same. She heaved a sigh, buckled her seatbelt and pulled out of the parking stall.

* * *

"I could join the military." Zuko said after a moment longer of silence. They'd just dropped Kim and Danielle off at the high school. Katie definitely wasn't going to her classes and she didn't feel like going back home to chaos just yet. And so, they decided to go back to the grotto to get the rest of their things. 

"No, you can't. You also need an identity for the military and plus they don't accept people with disabilities." Katie said, kicking at a rock.

"What do you mean disabilities!" Zuko demanded indignantly.

"Zee, you're half blind in your left eye! They won't even let people in who have flat feet!" Katie said. They continued walking on until they came to the series of log bridges that crisscrossed the stream.

"So, I guess the first thing I need to do is get an identity then." Zuko said.

"I guess so. But I have absolutely no clue how we're going to do that." Katie said.

"Don't worry. Everything is going to work out." Zuko reached out and took her hand. They walked the rest of the way to the grotto in silence.

"And, I'm sorry Blair hit you. Are you alright?" Katie said once they got to their destination. All of their things were exactly where they left them.

"I'm fine and I don't blame him. These are very confusing circumstances." Zuko knelt down and began rummaging through the second pack. Katie lifted her eyes to the sky and watched the white clouds drift by. White. Her dream suddenly popped into her head.

"I had a really weird dream last night." Katie said softly.

"Hm?" Zuko asked in mild interest.

"Your mom was in it. She gave me something." Katie said, she closed her eyes and tried to call up the memory of the dream, but it was very vague.

"What did she give you?" Zuko asked, frowning slightly. Katie scrunched her nose and looked around trying to remember. She could remember that it was something precious, then it hit her full force.

"It was you." Katie said, looking back at Zuko's face. Zuko looked down at the blanket he had been folding. He really didn't know how to take this bit of news. Was his mother's spirit responsible for the two of them traveling through dimensions? The thought that she was watching over him caused a small flower of happiness to blossom in his chest. He smiled and shoved the blanket into the bag.

"Well, my mother knows what she's doing. Everything _will_ be alright." He said, tying off the bag and throwing it over his shoulder. He took Katie's hand and they started back down the trail together.

* * *

Zuko nearly choked to death on his root beer. Katie had found a ten dollar bill in her camera bag and decided to treat Zuko to his first ever, all American meal. Therefore they were now sitting at a table in McDonalds, both with a drink, a cheeseburger and they were sharing a large fry. Katie reached out and pounded on his back helpfully, but couldn't resist laughing at him. 

"This is horrible!" he finally managed to wheeze out. He had never tasted so much sugar in his life and it made him want to gag.

"Mmm, I've been craving Soda for the past seven years." Katie said, taking a long swig of her own drink. The carbonation burned her throat and caused her own eyes to water. Zuko picked up his cheeseburger and took an apprehensive sniff.

"You actually call this food?" He asked, putting the limp burger back down in disgust.

"Of course it's not food. But it's edible and I've developed an addiction to it because of the chemicals they pump it full of in the gestation period." Katie said, taking a bite of her burger and stuffing a fry into her mouth. Zuko at least liked the fries, so he ended up eating most of the box. After they had more or less eaten, Katie drove up to the park and they walked around for a while next to the swimming pool. When they came upon the playground, Katie forced Zuko to go down the slides with her until some parents go upset. They wandered around town and up and down Main Street for a good number of hours. Only when it was five o'clock did Katie decide that it might be safe to go back to her house. Debbie leapt from her chair when they walked through the door.

"Where have you been? We were about to call the police to start looking for you! Don't ever do that again!" Debbie cried. She was across the room in a flash and had Katie in a bone-crushing hug. "I thought you'd been kidnapped or something!"

"Mom, how many times do I need to tell you? Zuko would never hurt me." Katie said, hugging her mom back.

"THERE YOU ARE!" Dennis yelled, walking in through the back door. "What the hell did you think you were doing?"

"Can you blame me for needing some time to figure things out? You were all so busy fighting this morning that I could barely hear myself think?" Katie said, matching her father's tone. "And if you really must know, I needed to take Kim and Danielle back down to the high school."

"You should have called us or something to let us know you weren't lying in a ditch somewhere!" Debbie said.

"I'm sorry, okay? I'm just really confused right now." Katie said, pulling away from her parents and collapsing on the couch. Zuko was standing frozen in the doorway, but when there was a silence he felt it was safe to move. As he began shutting the door an orange blur streaked into the room and climbed up to his shoulders. Rado licked Zuko's face then jumped down to Katie. She felt really bad, she had almost completely forgotten about her pet in the chaos. There was a slam of the back door and Blair came tromping in, his face was contorted with anger. Without a word he drew back to punch Zuko again, but Zuko caught the fist easily.

"BLAIR!" Katie yelled, jumping back to her feet.

"THIS GUY ISN'T SAFE KATIE! WHAT HAVE YOU BEEN THINKING?" Blair yelled. Katie forced herself between the two of them. Blair shoved her back towards the couch roughly and by pure instinct, Zuko created a small flame in the palm of his hand preparing to attack in Katie's defense. Katie, however, was on her feet in no time.

"WILL YOU STOP THIS?" She screamed. "ZUKO! PUT IT AWAY! AND YOU, BACK OFF!" She grabbed the front of Blair's shirt and shoved him down onto the couch. Her face softened and she gave him a pleading look, "Blair, you've known me my entire life! You know I'm a smart girl and have never made a seriously bad choice in my entire life! Can't you trust my judgment now? I know what I'm doing." Blair glared at her. "Trust me or else I'll burn you!" She said lighting a flame in her own hand.

"How are you doing that?" He asked breathlessly.

"Blair, I've been gone seven years. You know that Avatar show? That's where I went! Recognize this guy?" She reached over and grabbed Zuko. She pulled his bangs out of his face so his full scar could be seen. But what really caught Blair's attention were those abnormal yellow eyes. "He's my husband Blair. I'm a firebender! I've met the Avatar, I'm the godmother to his children for cripes sake! Now do you trust me?" Blair stared at them, his face going pale. Wordlessly he stood up.

"That's impossible." He finally said.

"Apparently it's not." Katie said, stepping forward and giving him a hug. He held her loosely.

"I think I need to go home now." Blair said awkwardly. He pulled away from Katie and left without another word.

"I need to call Tony and Dusty, let them know you're alright." Debbie said. She stood up and disappeared into the next room with the phone. Dennis grumbled something about feeding the horses and left as well, leaving Katie and Zuko alone in the front room.

"Well. That went rather well!" Katie said cheerfully.

* * *

Zuko's head lolled next to Katie. They were still in the front room, sitting on the couch with Debbie and Dennis sitting across from them. Dennis had given up the battle of staying awake and was snoozing in his armchair. It was now nearing midnight; Katie was giving her mother a more detailed explanation of her recent life. Kim was in the next room watching TV, but Katie knew she was eavesdropping. As a test she would lower her voice and, sure enough, the volume in the next room would go down as well or Kim would just hit the mute button altogether. 

"Hope?" Debbie asked softly.

"Yes. She was killed by pneumonia, or at least some version of it." Katie said.

"I'm so sorry." Debbie said. She was gradually beginning to believe what was going on.

"It's not uncommon, especially in firebending children." Katie said quietly, "Firebenders rarely get sick because our regular body temperature is too hot for viruses and bacteria to live in. So when a baby is born it doesn't have any sort of inherited immunity to disease. They have to be carefully taken care of until their powers begin to immerge when they're two years old." She explained.

"I'm sorry." Debbie said again. Katie just nodded and there was silence for a few seconds. Debbie got up to go get a drink of water. Katie turned to Zuko. His left eye was closed completely but his right was half open as he fought to stay awake. Katie put a hand on his cheek and gently pulled it towards her shoulder. Zuko took the invitation happily fell asleep almost instantly. Debbie came back into the room just as Katie planted a gentle kiss on Zuko's forehead.

"Where did he get that scar?" Debbie whispered.

"Zuko's father was abusive." Katie said simply, then smiled. "I've got the episode of that taped if you want to go watch it." Debbie frowned and chewed on her bottom lip.

"You know, when a man's father is abusive, he…"

"Mom, Zuko is nothing like his father. You don't have to worry." Katie said.

"What about the rest of his family?" Debbie asked.

"His mother died when he was little, and his sister committed suicide just a week ago. Before you say anything about that, I want you to know that he was raised by his uncle who is one of the greatest people I've ever met." Katie said. She wondered if she would ever see Iroh again. A tightness in her chest told her she wouldn't and that made her feel sad. Dennis began to stir from his chair. He opened his eyes and heaved himself to his feet with a grunt. The noise startled Zuko and he was suddenly wide-awake.

"I'm goin' to bed." Dennis announced thickly. He began walking towards the stairs but paused to point a threatening finger at Katie and Zuko. "He will _not _be sleeping in your room!"

"Dad!" Katie said with an exasperated sigh, but there was no arguing with the man. Zuko nodded and rested his head back on Katie's shoulder once Dennis had gone upstairs. The television in the other room turned off and Kim shuffled into her room. "Go ahead and lie down on the couch in the other room." Katie said, wiggling her shoulder a little to get Zuko to wake up. He gave her a sleepy kiss and stumbled into the other room.

"You really are married then?" Debbie asked.

"Yeah. I really am." Katie said. A weight settled on her lap, it was Rado. He had been sitting on the other side of Zuko, but since Zuko had left he decided to find another warm body. She stroked his back absentmindedly. Debbie asked Katie a few more questions, they stayed awake talking for another hour but then neither of them could stay awake any longer. Katie hugged and kissed her mom goodnight and watched her walk up the stairs, suddenly the woman looked ten years older. Katie forced herself to change into some pajamas, then she went into the TV room where Zuko was snoring softly. Katie kissed his cheek and he partially woke up. He rolled a little so she could squeeze next to him on the couch.

"I don't think your father would approve." Zuko mumbled.

"He just said you couldn't sleep in my room." Katie said, nestling her bottom into his stomach. They shifted around until they were comfortable and within a few seconds they were both asleep.

* * *

Wow, this one tooka while to get out. Can't wait to hear your reviews! And I'm expecting ALL to review (glares at screen) I can see you there hunched in front of your computer. REVIEW! 


	39. This is the end of our story

Well. I guess you are wondering about my forever long absence. I've been ill (cough). It started as a head cold then mesomorphosied into the nasty flu, fevery, strep throat kind of thing. I've pretty much been down and out for the last three weeks even though I've been forcing myself to go to school despite all this. The good news though, I've lost about 10 pounds because I haven't been able to eat. Unfortunately my stoopid body ate my muscle instead of fat. So it just left me all wobbly. The sickness itself wasn't that bad. It was the cures pressed upon me by my family that was torture. Tony gave me several massages because of my tense neck muscles. That may sound all good and junk, but half the time I was writhing in pain. He found one knot that shot this blinding pain from the back of my neck, straight into my right eyeball. Then there was something wrong with my guts and it felt like he was trying to dig my spleen out with his finger. It didn't help that he told me "You know, it's taking all my restraint not to do the big brotherly thing and just jab you so I can watch your leg kick." This was while his finger was jabbing through my stomach to massage bed I was laying on and my leg was kicking like nuts so I don't know what he was talking about. Another cure was getting shocked. That's it. I would sit in a chair holding these metal rods as electric currents were sent through my body. It wasn't all that bad except I would have to sit in the same place for hours at a time. So yeah. I haven't complained about it at all and thought I'd unload on all ya'll. Now, about this story:

This is the last chapter. Yes, you read that right. This is the last chapter. I didn't expect it to be, but I started writing it out and I'm like, "OH MY GOSH! IT'S OVER!" I sounded like a valley girl, yes. So sue me. Anyways, even though it took so long to put it out, don't hope it's all splendiferous and the most glorious thing ever written, because it ain't like that. In fact many of you will hate it because it's just readjusting to the new world. But as a consolation, it's my longest chapter yet! Woo hoo. I still want to get to 500 reviews, even though that's seeming less and less likely (sob my life dream is in the flusher) so just to let ya'll know, I'm gonna have a final chapter thing that is a last shoutout thinger and there will be an epilogue. Yay. Make sure you keep an eye out for my next story even though I don't quite know when it'll come out. It's gonna be a Phantom of the Opera, Avatar hybrid. And it'll be based on the book, so if you have any suggestions, I'm still trying to figure out who to cast Iroh as. I was thinking of making him be Mme. Giry, but then decided against it (don't worry, it would've made sense if I'd done it that way). Anyways, onward and forward.

**1bzwriter: **You fiend! That's the harshest threat ever written against me! I should write you up for harassment. Just kidding. I'm glad you like Zuko in the normal world so much. And don't worry so much. I'm a shipper for happy endings.

**Plutobaby494: **Aw, thanx. That was a sweet thing to type.

**Lovergal1227: **hee hee! You cracked the system…kinda…READ ON MY FRIEND!

**Blue ½: **Well, I hope you jump back and say hi again soon!

**Zukoscute2: **You don't know what to say? Is that good or bad?

**O-dragon: **Hmm. There's an Iroh blip that might make you happy…YOU JUST MUST READ!

**Titan09: **I'M RIGHT HERE TITAN! (waves) yup. I wanna use dodgy chemicals to activate all the dormant areas of my brain so I can rule the planet and reshape it into all that is Avatar. Oh yeah, I'm so a nerd! (gives five even though you've been 'hangin' for several weeks) It probably does mean bonfire then if your book says so. Mine's kinda wimpy. I just looked up fire and it had a few words related to fire. I just liked Taki-bi best.

**Sesshomaru's Woman: **Oh my gosh! I'm so sorry to hear about your dog! That's always a hard thing. If it's any consolation, one of our horses died recently. Of course it ain't much of a consolation because we hated that old nag. We actually sang and danced once that old fart snuffed it. But still, I'm sorry to hear about your predicament. If it will help, go up to Jorge and sok him in the nose. He seems to be asking for it. And no thanx on the list of animes and mangas. I'm just not a fan. But thanx for the offer.

**Elenea Galad: **I don't have perfect posture. I hunch like the Neanderthal I am. I just assumed and I was wrong. (sobs) I'm so sorry!

**SeethingxShadows: **Congrats on being 400! I'd give you a prize, but I'm just not creative enough right now to think of something clever to give you. My college course begins at 7:30 and ends at 10:30. _Then _I have to go to my highschool until 2:30. So it ain't really that great. Zuko had better not stare at those skirts!

(smacks Zuko upside the head) "Stop looking!"

I myself love soda, but I'm a health nut and carbonation is worse for you than sugar, so I rarely indulge my craving for the bubbly. But I must admit, grape soda constantly sounds wonderfully refreshing and I crave it like an addict.

**Random Writer88: **Hey gurl! What if _I _killed Zuko? Would you kill me as well? (stares intensely at screen) Just kidding. Your devotion makes you my hero!

**Evangline Angel: **Gee, wish I'd had 12 hours of sleep (grumble). Nope, no idea what gomen means. I know fundamentals, not specifics. Please enlighten me. I'm sorry you haven't much liked this last part, but to warn ya, it's just going to get worse. And since this is the last chapter I must say I'm sorry. I guess I'm just a shipper for a happy ending. Hey! We still have that one line you liked! Thanx for that concerned email, and I have read half of your newest chapter! It's really good, but stuff keeps coming up that forces me to stop reading it. I promise to you that I will finish it tonight, even if my eyes fall out!

**Serori: **Aw, thanx! I love you so much as well!

**Hpparty girl: **Welcome my new friend! (gives creepy smile) JK. Read on and your question will be answered!

**Khazia: **It is weird using my parent's first names! I was getting bubbles of glee until I finally got used to it! I likes to 'splain things. It's just something I do AND I CAN'T STOP! AUGH! And thank you! (bows to applause)

**Athenera: **Do you want it to end _that _badly? (pouts) Just kidding. This is actually the last chapter besides the epilogue.

**Petitio Principii: **Yes, woe is you YOU FIEND! Just kidding. And I don't think I'll make it to 500 reviews, but thanx for your well wishes and support!

**xTommyxSx: **You didn't need to get an account to review you silly bean (blushes and smiles). JK. Yes, it does make me feel special. I'm glad you liked it so much! And entertainment is my sole joy in life.

**Fire Wolfess: **That's…a weird drink combo (pounds you on the back to stop you from choking) YES! Let your minions eat my nose! I hate my nose. And welcome here! I'm still kinda new as well. I don't even know what I'm doing half the time.

**xxxPyro Eclipsexxx: **Hey! Thanx once again for checking out my story and welcome.

* * *

Katie glanced out the window to watch Zuko load some wood into the firepit. Connor, Seth and Bowen were following close on his tail. Once they found out he was the guy off of Avatar, they had become his shadow. They begged him constantly to show them firebending tricks, not even caring if they were the same ones over and over. She could tell that's what they were doing now. Zuko smiled down at the children and created a small ball of flame in his hand. He juggled it around over his head for a moment before dropping it into the middle of the kindling. The kids were dancing around crazily then suddenly ran off to jump on the trampoline and pretend they were benders. Zuko grinned and came into the house. He didn't care that Katie wasn't alone in the kitchen, in fact the place was over crowded with her mother and sister-in-laws as they tried to prepare the food for Skylar's second birthday party which was to be held that night. He walked up behind her, wrapped his arms around her waist and nuzzled her ear.

"Ew, you're all sweaty! Go get cleaned up." Katie said shoving his face away with a shoulder.

"You have to say the magic word!" Zuko said and nuzzled closer, blowing a raspberry against her neck. Katie turned her head and whispered something to Zuko. He gave a nervous little cough and immediately left to take a shower. Katie turned back to her cake batter until she noticed her sisters were giving her a weird look.

"What?"

"It's just so funny." Leah said with a shrug. It had been almost two weeks since Katie had returned. Everyone in the family knew by now about what had happened to her and who this mystery guy was. They were just barely getting used to the idea. Her brothers would still send Zuko glares, but no matter how little they wanted to admit it they were warming up to him. Katie's dad on the other hand had practically fallen in love with him. He hired Zuko to replace their last farmhand who moved to Alaska for college. So now Dennis spent the entire day with Zuko. He valued the fact that Zuko was a hard worker and also the fact that Zuko had a whole medley of dirty jokes stored in his head from his days living among sailors. Katie had started working once more for her dad's mad scientist friend, however she was no longer assembling parts for his inventions. Dennis had let slip the entire story of Katie's last seven years and also about her bending abilities. Calvin had nearly had a seizure from his excitement. So, now Katie was being paid to sit in a chair as Calvin's guinea pig. She actually didn't mind so long as he didn't go overboard with the tests. There had been several other interesting events from the past two weeks, like the fact that they had started filing the paperwork for Zuko to become a U.S. citizen. It was a little difficult since they couldn't explain how he got into the country in the first place, also they couldn't exactly provide a certificate proving their marriage otherwise there would be much less mess. Another big factor was coming up with a country for him to come from. They finally decided on China since he could read the language and spoke some dialect close to it fluently.

They took the food outside and the rest of the guests (namely Jess's family) showed up. After a few rousing games for the little kids, several of the men started up a game of 500. Katie ended up being the only girl playing, as usual, and because of this her brothers were extra hard on her. Half an hour later she finally limped away from the game after a rather brutal body check to collapse on the bench next to Zuko. She just couldn't get him to join in. He had been sitting cushily next to the fire with Brinn nestled on his lap while Rado was off wrestling with Alex and Skylar.

The hotdogs were broken out and everyone came to sit around the fire. Katie glanced over at Zuko's hotdog which was sitting beneath a precariously balanced log. She flared the heat on the log and it collapsed on his hotdog. Katie giggled evilly and turned back to her own cooking. Zuko frowned and gave a little wink. Suddenly Katie's hotdog exploded. She sat looking at the massacred "meat" in shock before she began laughing. Zuko grinned and stood up to get a fresh hotdog, but he just cooked it in his hand instead of trusting it around Katie again. As an afterthought he grabbed a jumbo marshmallow as well.

"Hey Katie, can I ask you something?" He asked nonchalantly when he returned to the fire and sat next to her on the bench. Almost as though on cue, everything stopped. Even Sandy, Skylar's other grandma (who was telling the Skylar not to eat things she found on the ground because it would give her worms) stopped mid-sentence.

"Yup." Zuko pulled out the marshmallow. Buried deep in its center was a simple ring. The band was white gold and set in the center was a small diamond.

"Wanna marry me? …Again?"

"Huh?" She asked stupidly, taking the ring from him.

"You know, to make everything legal here." He said with a shrug.

"Yeah, whatever." Katie said, giving a shrug in return. He took the ring from her and slipped it on her left hand. Katie gazed at the ring with a soft smile, then turned and kissed Zuko deeply. Everyone around them began cheering.

"Did all of them know about this?" Katie asked suspiciously when she pulled away.

"They weren't supposed to. I wanted to make it formal and asked your father for your hand. He told me to ask your mother." He said with a grin. Katie couldn't help but laugh. She wrapped an arm around Zuko's waist and stared into the flames, every now and then lifting her hand to watch the reflection of the fire dance over the diamond.

* * *

Katie rolled over and slapped her snooze button for the third time. It was almost six o'clock, she needed to get up. She just really didn't want to. She buried her face into Zuko's back and grumbled sleepily.

The alarm went off again, Chunga and Mister had just started reporting the "Really Stupid News" and Katie couldn't help but laugh at a story about a woman who stole a parrot by sneaking it down her bra. Katie reached over and flipped on the light as the radio played, Zuko let out a hiss and pulled the blankets over his eyes. Katie slapped his butt fondly and climbed out of bed to brush her teeth. She also checked e-mail, she was getting a lot of unfriendly messages from her friends. She had refused talking to any of them for the past three weeks, just sending little notes about a family emergency. But she wouldn't be able to avoid it any longer. She was going to spend one more day at the high school to see them all once more and to pick up her stuff. She had been negotiating with her councilors and they gave her packets to fill out to achieve the few remaining credits needed to graduate. After she ate breakfast and rumpled her hair, she went back into her bedroom. Zuko was down on the floor doing push-ups. Katie walked over to him and placed her foot in the small of his back. He stopped long enough to nod at her and continued with her adding resistance.

"Getting tired?" She asked him sweetly.

"Of course not." He said even though his breathing was thick. Katie removed her foot and sat on Zuko's back as though it were a bench. He let out a little chuckle and continued. He only did ten more before his arms gave out and he collapsed. Katie managed to jump off right before and began laughing at him as she got dressed.

"So are you really going to go back today?" Zuko asked from the floor.

"Yeah, I need to get my stuff. Plus it'll be nice to have one more day as a teenager." She said quietly. It took a while for her to find a clean pair of socks because her room was in the middle of being cleared of her knick-knacks to make room for Zuko. It had been a fun process; it brought up a bunch of childhood memories. Katie finally finished getting ready, she bent down to give Zuko a kiss and went to school.

* * *

Katie dropped Kim and Danielle off at the front door. She didn't want to go in just yet, plus it was still lunch. So she drove over to Hogi Yogi to get something to eat. Heather smiled when Katie walked in.

"Hey, I haven't seen you for a while! The usual?" She asked, already reaching for the Asiago cheese bread.

"Yeah, the usual." Katie said. She paid $2.50 for her sandwich, got a pink lemonade and sat at her table next to the window as people from the high school began to slowly filter in. A few people she knew waved at her, and she waved back barely recognizing their faces. Kramer and a couple of girls he was with came in and talked to her for a few minutes before taking their food down to the park to eat. Katie glanced at the clock, 11:20. She still had twenty minutes of lunch, but decided to go back to the school early. She went immediately to the Seminary building. She didn't have the class today, but she needed to grab her four-in-one. Plus it would just be nice to see her teacher. He was sitting on a desk in the classroom, talking to another teacher when she walked in.

"Hey! I've been wanting to talk to ya!" Brother Hinton said loudly when he saw her. He came forward to give her a high five. "I hear you're dropping out?" He said, a note of sadness in his voice.

"Um, kinda, I guess. I'm going to finish up my credits with packets. Life has just been really…hectic…lately." She said with a shrug. She went over to the cupboard and pulled out her scriptures.

"Is everything okay? Is there anything you'd like to talk about?" he asked concernedly.

"No, everything is fine." Katie said with a confidant smile. "It's been great being in your class, brother." She held her hand out and he shook it happily.

"It's been great teaching you. Remember, Light and Truth." He said with a smile.

"Light and Truth." Katie said, smiling back.

"You're awesome." He said and gave her a little pat on the back. Katie left to deposit her scriptures in her car before the bell rang.

* * *

Katie stepped through the glass double doors and everything rushed back at her as though she had only been here yesterday. She felt her mind melt back into its seventeen-year-old self as she breathed in the scent of cleaning products and pizza. She stopped briefly at a drinking fountain and took a sip. The water tasted nasty, but the memory of the time she and her friends had sluffed an assembly to try and drink from every fountain in the school overwhelmed her. She had done it! Sipped from every one of them except the one in the guy's changing room. The bus ride home had been torture. Katie smiled and started walking again.

"WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN!" a shrill voice shrieked. Katie turned to see one of her best friends, Kaylene, jogging to catch up. Katie smiled at her and hugged her friend so tightly that she lifted her off the ground (which ain't hard because she so tiny).

"Aw, it's great to see ya!" Katie said as Kaylene squirmed.

"Okay, that weirded me out, don't do it again." Kaylene said once Katie let go of her. Katie laughed and they began walking down the hall together. "Seriously though, where were you! You left me all alone!"

"I didn't leave you all alone you clingy little turd!" Katie said with a smile. Nothing had changed. They rounded a corner and Katie spotted a group of people standing around a locker. She hopped over to them excitedly and hugged each of them in turn. Kaylene stood offishly to one side (even though these people were Katie's friends, she didn't like them). After the hugging stopped they went back to walking.

"You still haven't told me what's going on! And why are you so happy? It's starting to creep me out!" Kaylene pouted.

"Well I- MARCO!" She ran over to him and hugged him tightly around the waist. He gave her a weird look and patted her head. Katie finally let go of him and kept walking, although it only took her a half a second to spot someone else to hug.

"FINISH YOUR SENTENCE WOMAN!" Kaylene yelled after they left Danelle in a confused, post spontaneously hugged state.

"I'll tell you later, okay? I just want to live for the moment right now. AFRO! NEFREH!" She screamed and ran towards the twins. It took nearly seven minutes to make it down the hall since Katie insisted on hugging everyone she knew plus a few people she didn't. Finally they reached Kaylene's locker where Kaylene's scuzzoid…er… boyfriend Louis was prowling. Katie refrained from hugging him since he was icky.

"Katie." He said with a frown.

"Louis." Katie spat back. It was all much like the exchange between Jerry Seinfeld and Newman.

"KATIE! I LOVE YOU! YOU MUST BE MINE!" a very blond someone screamed over the crowd.

"CHANTA MY LOVE! COME TO ME!" Katie screamed back holding her arms out wide.

"CATCH ME YOU FOOL!" Chanta (pronounced: Shan-tay) yelled as she pranced through the crowded hall. Katie barely managed to catch her as Chanta leapt into the air, wrapping her legs around Katie's waist. Katie stood there for a moment, just trying to support Chanta's weight without collapsing.

"This probably looks wrong." Katie finally managed to grunt.

"Yeah… STOP TOUCHING ME!" Katie dropped Chanta flat on her butt (don't worry. She's not schizophrenic, she's just ditzophrenic). "So where have you been? You've missed, like, five toaster days!" Chanta asked from the ground.

"Sorry, I've been busy." Katie said with a shrug and sat down in the middle of the hall next to her.

"Well, you have to come over to our bench tomorrow! We're playing bloody knuckles and I want to see you make John cry again." Chanta said with a shrug.

"That sounds great. But I don't think I'm going to be able to make it." Katie said sadly.

"Why?" Chanta asked, cocking an eyebrow. Katie glanced over her shoulder to make sure Kaylene was engrossed with Louis. She was going to tell her, but she didn't want to give the girl a hemorrhage quite yet. Katie whispered it to Chanta and she gasped.

"Lucky!" She said with a frown and stalked off. Katie shook her head in amusement as the bell rang and people began shuffling to their classes. Katie calmed down once she got to her Sci-fi class. They finished reading a play and worked on their essays. Smithey held Katie after class to discuss the story she was working on for publication, then Katie set off for Orchestra.

She found her instrument and sat in her place to watch life go on around her. She refrained from joining in on conversations, just watched in amusement at everything that was exactly as she remembered.

"KATIE BUG!" Someone yelled in a fake high-pitched voice. Katie turned to see Shawn skip into the room and plop on her lap.

"SHAWN-Z!" She yelled, wrapping her arms around his waist. "Still got that goatee I see?" Katie said.

"Of course." He said, climbing off her lap and pulling a chair around to face her. "I've been stopping by all week, where ya been?"

"Um, just…away. Why, did you need something?" Katie asked.

"Advice." Shawn said with a shrug.

"Well, ze docter is in." Katie said, holding out her hands invitingly. Shawn hesitated for a second, and Katie's 'woman intuition' kicked in.

"Hm, it's about another girl?" She asked with a smile. He looked a bit shocked.

"How did you know?"

"I's psychic. And you don't have to worry, we aren't together anymore. Remember?"

"Um, I just didn't know if you were _over _me yet." He said awkwardly.

"I think you need to get over _yourself_." Katie said with a laugh, "But, yes, I'm over you and I'm with a great guy now." Shawn looked a bit dejected at this, but started in on his problem anyways. It was simple, there was a girl he was seeing that he thought he wanted to marry, but he couldn't figure out if he actually loved her or not or even if she felt the same way towards him. He also didn't know if he should wait until after another year or two of college.

"What are you asking me for? I don't know her!" Katie said

"But you know everything! Just give me your best shot!"

"Well, have you talked to _her_ about it yet?"

"Not really."

"Well that's all it takes you goon! If you're so stressed just ask her if she's ready for marriage. The worst she could say is 'GET AWAY FROM ME YOU FREAK!' and you're used to hearing that." Shawn laughed and reached out to squeeze her hand gratefully. She could always find a way to make something stressful sound simple. The teacher finally made it in to class (five minutes late) and Shawn got up to leave.

"Thanks Katie Bug." He said, bending down to give her a hug.

"Sure thing bud. Now be off with you! Find your woman! _Saisir le jour_!" Katie said, shoving him away with her foot and pulling her instrument out of the case. The Nazi…er…teacher tapped her stand and everyone raised their instruments in unison. Katie closed her eyes in ecstasy as Mozart began flowing from her fingertips.

* * *

Katie dropped by the Biology lab to give her book to Meldrum and the school day was complete. She went over to her locker and found Kaylene there waiting for her.

"Are you going to tell me yet?" Kaylene asked. Katie shrugged and put her hand on the dial, she stopped and frowned at it.

"What's my combo?" She asked. Kaylene sighed and opened Katie's locker for her. There really wasn't anything in the locker except a few pictures and various other junk since Katie practically lived out of her car. She began taking these down and tucked them in her binder until the only thing left was a little Buddha statue. She grabbed this as well and shut the locker for the last time. She sighed and turned to Kaylene.

"Ready to go?" Katie asked.

"Yeah." Kaylene said, still frowning in confusion. They barely made it outside when Kaylene let in a little gasp. "Oh my gosh! How sad. Look at that guy's face! If anyone needs a hug it's him." Kaylene whispered. Katie turned and standing under a tree next to the D-building was Zuko. Katie smiled and began walking towards him. "KATIE! I WAS JOKING!" Kaylene shouted after her. Katie dropped her binder on the ground and wrapped her arms around Zuko's neck, pulling him down to kiss her. When they pulled apart, Zuko bent down to pick up Katie's binder and Katie chanced a glance at Kaylene who was gaping back at them.

"So, whatcha doin'?" Katie asked, slinging her arm through Zuko's as they began walking back over to Kaylene.

"I decided to take a walk. Next thing I knew I was here, so I decided to wait for you." Zuko said with a shrug.

"You just decided to go for a ten mile walk? Are you stalking me?" Katie asked with a smile.

"Maybe I am, but as your fiancé and husband, I think I'm entitled." He grinned down at her.

"Okay, you'd better start talking!" Kaylene said angrily once they got to her.

"Today is my last day here. And this is my man, Zee." Katie said. She didn't know whether or not Kaylene watched avatar, so she decided it would be better to use his nickname. Kaylene looked at her as though she had lost her mind.

"YOU'RE DROPPING OUT!" She yelled. "FOR A GUY?"

"Yup." Katie said, not wanting to go into the details with Kaylene while she was in a temper. Kaylene frowned and stormed off without another word. Katie sighed and led Zuko down to her car.

"Are you going to be alright?" Zuko asked concernedly.

"Oh yeah, that drama is normal. And this was a perfect last day." Katie said with a smile.

* * *

Iroh sat at a small table, sipping on his tea and closing his eyes in meditation. There was a gentle knock on the door and a man stepped through cautiously when Iroh gave him permission.

"Yes?" Iroh asked kindly. The man shifted a bit, but raised his chin and began his announcement.

"General Iroh, I am sorry to tell you that the firelord has disappeared, along with his wife. They left their room on Pen Qua a few weeks ago and haven't been seen since. We searched the area, but we couldn't find them. Although, we did manage to find this." The soldier stepped forward and handed a letter addressed to Iroh. Iroh pursed his lips and unrolled the parchment. The thing hadn't been sealed and the characters were written sloppily as though the writer hadn't bothered to take the time to make them look nice. He read over the letter and sat back in his seat with a sigh. The entire thing was just a blather of thoughts and incomplete sentences, some was even in a language he recognized but didn't know. He at least managed to get some meaning from it. Several parts were venting about hating being royalty. One part even spoke of Zuko threatening to run away. Iroh sighed and rubbed his beard thoughtfully. He had noticed Zuko's tension around the palace, but he knew Zuko was too proud to actually run away despite the amount of stress he might feel. Then again, his nephew had changed much since becoming firelord. Iroh couldn't read his thoughts and emotions as he once could. Iroh closed his eyes and floated back into meditation, letting his mind drift into the spirit world. A woman stood before him that looked like Katie, but different. They exchanged no words, but Iroh understood from just looking at her that he would never see his nephew again. Another feeling came over him that Zuko was happy, this erased any sadness in Iroh's heart. The woman smiled at Iroh and he smiled back with a bow of his head before allowing the physical realm to pull him back home. The soldier was still there, standing nervously next to the door as though itching to make a mad dash.

"Thank you very much for giving this to me. Now, could you rouse the council for me? Changes are now in order." Iroh said, hoisting himself to his feet with a grunt.

"Yes sir." The soldier saluted and marched smartly out of the room. Iroh sighed and smoothed some hair out of his face. One of Zuko's earliest decrees was that Iroh was to take the throne in the event of Zuko's death without an heir. Iroh had never expected it to actually come to pass. Iroh pulled on a clean, silk shirt and went to meet his new job.

* * *

Katie hummed softly to herself as she sat on the floor of her office, unloading the very last box. She pulled out her diplomas and hung them on the wall, then stood back to admire the effect. It had been six years now since coming back to her world. She had continued on to fulfill her dream to become a computer animator for films. She was now dabbling in screenwriting. Zuko had started studying to be a martial arts instructor several years before, but had somehow been drafted into becoming a stunt double, then he sorta morphed into what many were calling the next Jet Li or Jackie Chan. Katie was snapped out of her musings when two strong arms wrapped around her shoulders. She nearly jumped out of her skin and prepared herself to attack whoever it was until she heard a deep rumbling chuckle.

"Hello my love." The voice growled in her ear.

"Hello my lord." She said. "You're home early."

"Yeah, my co-star got punched in the face and nearly had a nervous breakdown." Zuko said, nuzzling her neck.

"I'm guessing _you_ hit him?" Katie asked.

"I wish. It was just some random hater."

"Hmm. And why so sneaky? I'm guessing you didn't use the front door?" Katie asked.

"MOMEE! RADO HAS MY DOLLY!" A high pitched voice shrieked and soft footsteps began making their way down to the basement.

"That's why." Zuko said, unlatching himself from Katie and turning to face the tornado. A little girl, around three years old with the darkest brown hair possible and huge golden eyes stumbled into the office with half a rag doll clasped in her little hand.

"DADDY!" She shrieked, her face melting into an adorable smile.

"Hey princess." Zuko said, bending down to scoop her up in a hug.

"Daddy daddy! I learned a new trick today! Wanna see? Wanna see?"

"Of course I do!" he said excitedly. He set the little girl down on the floor where she scrunched her little face in concentration. She began taking deep breaths and was just about to do her trick when Katie clamped a hand over her mouth.

"I don't think so Goober! No firebending in the house unless it's in the arena." She said sternly.

"Aww!" She whined but grabbed Zuko's hand to drag him into the next room. The entire basement was split into three parts. There was Katie's office, which took up a fifth of the space, a laundry room that also housed their water heater and essentials, then the rest of the basement was a sort of shrine to the firenation culture. Everywhere was red silk and banners embroidered with the flame symbol. One wall was even half covered with a dragon shrine. And right above the dragon shrine was a painting Katie had done of Iroh; he was sitting on a cushion surrounded by a peaceful nature scene with a teapot on a small table in front of him. Zuko often joked that the only thing wrong about the picture was that Iroh would probably be completely naked as well if given the choice. Another thing about the basement was that half of the firenation space was taken up by a small, agni kai arena. This was where the little girl led her father. She assumed her position once more and began breathing. Then with a little grunt flames blew out her nose. She gave a little sneeze and grinned at her father expectantly. As could be expected, Zuko began smothering the child with praises and kisses. Something pulled at Katie's clothes and she looked down to see Rado scaling her body as though it were nothing but a fun obstacle and perch on her shoulder. Clenched tightly in his jaws was the rest of the rag doll. Katie pried it from his mouth and glared at him. He just licked her face affectionately in return. Katie smiled and looked around her. She was in a nice home, both she and Zuko had very comfortable careers, a loyal pet and a beautiful little girl. She looked down at the two people she loved most in the world as they rolled around on the mat, the room was filled with giggles and shrieks as Zuko tickled her. _Everything is perfect. _Katie thought to herself.

"All right everyone. It's time for bed." Katie said, clapping her hands.

"Aww!" the princess whined.

"Aww! Yes." Katie said back, walking over to the mat to pull her family to their feet. Zuko grabbed her arm and pulled her down on the ground with them.

"DOG PILE ON MOMMY!" He yelled and half squashed Katie with his body.

"YAY!" twenty pounds of weight was suddenly added to the pile as she took a flying leap and landed on her father's back. Rado joined in as well, but only because it gave him a chance to bite at Zuko's hair which had come down from its low ponytail in the ruckus.

"You know Zee, you aren't helping with the whole bedtime thing." Katie gasped and glared at him. It wasn't a nice glare.

"Have I told you lately that I love you?" he asked, batting his eyes and kissing her cheek in the attempts to get on her good side once more.

"In that case, you can do the dishes." Katie said with a sweet smile.

Katie sat on the edge of the little bed, leaning against a pillow with her daughter cuddled up next to her. Rado was on the other side already sound asleep.

"The princess didn't _want_ to go live with the mean goblin king down in the dark tunnels where it was icky and smelly all day." Katie read softly from a story book, "She wanted to play in the sunlight. But her evil stepmother said, 'you have to go down there princess or I'll turn you into a pair of shoes!' And so, the princess went to the cave and met the goblin king. But he wasn't mean at all. In fact, he was smiling and he gave her candy and a hug." Katie glanced down at the sleepy head that was bobbing with half-closed eyes. She had to admit, the girl had inherited her fathers stubbornness. And so Katie read on about how the goblins didn't turn out so bad, and that the princess had so much fun living with them underground and playing with pretty jewels that she didn't want to give up what she had once not understood. It was all about not judging. Katie glanced up at the doorway and saw Zuko leaning against the frame with a soft smile. She smiled back and gently extracted herself from the bed without waking its inhabitants. Zuko walked over and they both bent to kiss the soft hair of their daughter.

"Goodnight princess, I love you." Zuko whispered.

"Goodnight Destiny." Katie whispered. And she began walking with Zuko out of the bedroom. The small girl named Destiny curled up and was snuggling Rado like a teddy bear. Katie stopped just inside the room and turned quickly. "And I love you more! Ha! I win!" She ran lightly out of the room giggling with Zuko on her heels.

And they lived happily ever after.

* * *

Well, the way I figure it is if all my regular reviewers review three or four times for this chapter, I should just about reach 500! Yay. It's been a good run. It's going to be sad to post my epilogue (wow that sounds like a funeral type of thing.) Please review and tell me how much you love and appreciate me and this story which has brought such rapture and bliss into your life! Jeez I'm getting cocky. Maybe you shouldn't give me the praises I crave. It's goin' to mine noggin! And remember, if you have any inspiration as to what part of the Phantom of the Opera I should give to Iroh, give me a hint! 


	40. Epilogue

**EPILOGUE**

Katie stretched and ran her fingers through her short, burgandy hair causing it to spike up (that's right, my hair now matches the upholstry in my car). Finally, after three months, the story was done. In part she felt extremely sad that it was all coming to an end. This project had taken a large part of her life and concentration to complete. And yet she also felt glad that it was done just because of the sheer exhaustion of it all. She stretched again and with a sigh reached down and clicked her mouse to submit the final part of her story.

Her thoughts drifted back to when she first began her story, she had never thought it would escalate into something like this. And now, 39 chapters, 224 pages and over 460 reviews later, she felt she had really accomplished something. Never before had she written something this long, let alone finish a story she started. She saw it as a breakthrough for herself.

Katie logged off and stood up, stretching once more. It was late and she was more than ready to sink into her bed and sleep like a rock for the next seven hours. She got changed into her pajamas and lay down, her story flashing behind her eyes as she fell asleep.

Sunlight filtered in across her face. Katie let out a groan and snuggled deeper under her blankets, forever thankful that it was Sunday and she could sleep in. She leaned back against her body pillow and her body pillow draped an arm comfortably around her waist while sighing blissfully into her hair. Katie froze for a fraction of a second before screaming and scrambling out of bed, making sure to kick the owner of the arms as much as possible. Katie gasped when she saw the scarred face of a teenage boy gawking back at her. The face quickly contorted into rage as the boy clambered out of her bed. But it wasn't her bed, and this wasn't her room. Katie grabbed one of the broadswords hanging from the wall and held it out like a baseball bat. It only took a second for the familiarity of this to sink in.

"Aw shammit."

FIN

I hoped you liked it! Jeez, I can't get over how sad it is that my story is finally done. But now I can move on to other stories! Which reminds me, anybody who read the first chapter thinger of "Phantom" I must apologize. The Administration deleted it for reasons which are still unclear to me and I am fighting to get it back! Anyways, back to the sadness of being done with this story. Thank you all so much for being behind me all this way, I never would have made it this far if it weren't for your encouraging reviews. I LOVE YOUR GUTS. I would go through and mention every single person that ever reviewed, but I'm just too lazy. And for those of you who read but never did review, I love you as well. And it's not too late to still drop a kindly word. If you have an account here I can still give you a reply even if it isn't the same as a shoutout.

Another thing, a few have asked about a sequel. No. I'm not doing a sequel. But if anybody out there really wants to, feel free to write a continuation of my story! I would love to see where other people could take this. Any of my plot and any of my characters (including me) are now open to the public so long as you remember where they came from and please let me know so I can feel all proud and fuzzy. Also, I would still love to see fanart if anybody has some. I've finally gotten my pictures up on my computer and now have my own deviant account although I haven't been able to figure out how to post my pics (so my relationship with that site might not even work out at all). When or if I do, I will post a link on my profile page, so keep your eyes peeled. Speaking of my profile page, I've given it a makeover! There's really not anything new, but check it out anyways if you want. Anyhoo, If you are too impatient to wait for me to post them and really want to see my pics, drop me an email and I'll forward them to you! While we're on the subject of email. If anybody just wants to chator if you need advice or anything, my mailbox is open!

Now…my final shoutout (sniffsobsnort)

**Elenea Galad: **Thank you so much! (bows back) hmm, what does "Tenna ento lye omenta" mean? It sounds pretty, is it insulting ;-)

**Katara183: **Wow, I think you're one of the few who have been reviewing since the very first chapter. Thank you so much. And that poem was really pretty. (sniff) it sounds like someone's died!

**1bzwriter: **Sentimentality rocks. I'm just so glad my story had this kind of an affect. Thank you.

**Plutobably494: **Thank you so much! You're sweet too!

**Newsifreak9er9er: **I'm glad that you loved it! But alas, no sequel. If you want to write one though, then feel free.

**Zukoscute2: **Hee hee. Your schizophrenia always makes me laugh. Thank you for your luverly reviews.

**Lovergal1227: **I would love it if you did that! You're my hero! Thanks for being around for this for so long!

**Serori: **Thank you so much for all of your kindness.

**Khazia: **I'm glad you liked it. Yeah, Chanta is nuts. She actually moved to Nephi last year (sob, I miss her guts) but I just couldn't help but bring her back here in my fic. YAY! I would love it if you came and visited. Unfortunately I don't trust you and will never agree to meet people I met on the Internet. JK. I luv ya!

**Fyreflower: **YOU'RE FRIGGEN AWESOME TOO! Unfortunately, this is the end of the story.

**xTommyxSx: **Thank you once again for your wonderful email. And yes, the ending was a bit corny, wasn't it? I just didn't know what else to write and "They lived happily ever after" just seemed to fit. Thanx again.

**Seethingxshadows: **That's why I have an epilogue! To make my story an even 40 chappies. And to answer your question about Rado, I figure he's like a cat. Those buggers have been known to live for over twenty years. That is unless they live around my house. (sob) I MISS YOU PROFESSOR FLUFFY PANTS!

**hppartygirl: **hey, I love pickles too! You're my hero.

**Randomwriter88: **Aw, I'm glad you liked it. I will have to email ya! In fact, I'll go do that right now!

**Fritters-4-Psi: **Yup, my story is done. And if it went on forever my brain would look like a sponge that has been wrung dry. I'm glad that my fic had such an affect on ya!

**Evangline Angel: **Wow! I was so touched by the _Super long review of Death _that I really don't know what to say. That just really made me feel all happy and fuzzy! But I have to confess, when I started the whole idea was to hook myself up with a hot main character (sob) I'M SO PATHETIC! But seriously, I'm glad you liked it and I really hope to see you do one of these fics someday.

I would also like to thank all my regular reviewers who haven't reviewed for that last chapter yet. I LOVE YOU ALL!


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